George Washington University
#61 UNC-WILMINGTON
GW Men's Tennis Upsets No. 61 UNC-Wilmington
4/4/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
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April 4, 2015
WASHINGTON - The George Washington men's tennis team was down, 3-1, but rallied to upset the nation's 61st-ranked team, UNC-Wilmington, 4-3, on Sunday in the Colonials' outdoor home opener at the GW Tennis Center on the Mount Vernon Campus.
GW (7-12, 0-1 A-10) nearly claimed the early lead after junior Danil Zelenkov and sophomore Julius Tverijonas claimed victory at the No. 2 doubles position, but the Seahawks (9-7) snagged the point with a 9-8 (7-5) win at the top slot over senior Francisco Dias and freshman Chris Fletcher after already taking the No. 3 match.
"We felt this was our best collaboration of doubles yet," said Head Coach Greg Munoz. "We came really close, only losing in a tie breaker at No. 1 for the deciding point, but we felt good moving into singles play. We play well on our home courts and we just stayed positive."
In singles action, UNCW increased its lead with a win at the fourth-flight match, but Zelenkov cut the deficit in half with a 6-4, 6-3 triumph in the two-hole.
The Seahawks took the No. 3 match to gain a 3-1 edge, but Dias prevailed in the top spot, 7-5, 6-4, and Tverijonas battled for a 6-3, 7-6 (7-5) win in the fifth position to knot the score at three apiece.
With all eyes on at the bottom of the ladder, junior Cahit Kapukiran solidified the upset with his come-from-behind, 3-6, 6-4, 6-5, victory.
"We've been waiting for certain players to get healthier, and we've lost some tight matches so far this season, so this is a great win for team morale," said Munoz. "We're playing our most difficult schedule to date, and this win was just fantastic. The crowd was great and UNCW is always tough, so we're happy for this win."
The Colonials will continue their homestand on Sunday as they host St. John's at 10 a.m. at the GW Tennis Center.
George Washington 4, #61 UNC-Wilmington 3
Singles
1. Francisco Dias (GW) def. Santtu Leskinen (UNCW) 7-5, 6-4
2. Danil Zelenkov (GW) def. Xander Veys (UNCW) 6-4, 6-3
3. C. Van der Burgh (UNCW) def. Chris Fletcher (GW) 6-3, 6-4
4. Sam Williams (UNCW) def. Chris Reynolds (GW) 6-4, 6-1
5. Julius Tverijonas (GW) def. Zach Hublitz (UNCW) 6-3, 7-6 (7-5)
6. Cahit Kapukiran (GW) def. Andres Torres (UNCW) 3-6, 6-4, 6-5
Doubles
1. C. Van der Burgh/Sam Williams (UNCW) def. Francisco Dias/Chris Fletcher (GW) 9-8 (7-5)
2. Danil Zelenkov/Julius Tverijonas (GW) def. Xander Veys/Santtu Leskinen (UNCW) 8-4
3. Taylor Cramer/Zach Hublitz (UNCW) def. Cahit Kapukiran/Chris Reynolds (GW) 8-3
Players Mentioned
