NC State
Maryland
Maryland Takes 4-3 Squeaker over Pack Men's Tennis
4/7/2012 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
April 7, 2012
RALEiGH, N.C. – The three seniors on the NC State men’s tennis team won their singles matches in the top half of the lineup, but it was not enough to overcome Maryland’s advantage from winning the doubles point earlier in the afternoon at the Curtis and Jacqueline Dail Outdoor Tennis Stadium.
The Terps held on for the 4-3 victory over the Pack (16-8 overall, 2-6 ACC).
No. 35 Jaime Pulgar and Julian Sullivan breezed to victories at Nos. 1 and 3 singles, while Dominic Hodgson won a hotly contested match at No. 2 over Maryland’s Maros Horny, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4, giving the Wolfpack a 3-2 lead in the match.
Maryland (6-13, 3-6) had grabbed a quick lead by taking two of three doubles matches, putting the Wolfpack in a difficult position for a comeback. The Wolfpack is 16-0 when winning the doubles point this season and 0-8 when losing it.
Head coach Jon Choboy’s team had an opportunity to take the match, as freshman Robbie Mudge and junior Dave Thomson both went to three sets at Nos. 5 and 6. Thomson, playing in just his third singles match of the season after a long injury layoff, easily won his first set and was ahead 5-3 in the second set at No. 6 singles. Maryland’s Tommy Laine came back to win the second set 7-5 and the third set 6-4.
“The guy stepped up his game at that point,” Choboy said. “This was only Dave’s third match of the season and he hasn’t been in this situation for the last six months. He did a great job of putting himself in that position.”
In the match’s decisive contest, Mudge fought back to even the score at one set apiece against Maryland’s Johnny Collins. The final set was tied at 3-all, but Collins swept the final three games to close out the singles match and the overall match.
“Robbie’s done a great job all season and I’ll take him at 3-3 in a third set any day of the week,” Choboy said. “I was proud of the way he played.”
The Wolfpack plays its final road match of the regular season on Tuesday, when it travels to Winston-Salem to face Wake Forest. State will then host Georgia Tech on Friday and Clemson on Sunday at Dail Stadium in the final two home matches of the season.
Maryland 4, NC State 3
April 7, 2012
Curtis and Jacqueline Dail Outdoor Stadium
at Raleigh, N.C.
Singles
1. No. 35 Jaime Pulgar (NCSU) def. Vlad Stefan (Maryland), 6-2, 6-3.
2. Dominic Hodgson (NCSU) def. Maros Horny (Maryland), 7-6 (5), 6-4.
3. Julian Sullivan (NCSU) def. Sergio Wyss (Maryland), 6-1, 6-4.
4. Jesse Kiuru (Maryland) def. Austin Powell (NCSU), 6-4, 6-3.
5. John Collins (Maryland) def Robbie Mudge (NC State), 6-4, 1-6, 6-3.
6. Tommy Laine (Maryland) def. Dave Thomson (NC State), 2-6, 7-5, 6-4.
Order of finish: 3,1, 2, 4, 6, 5.
Doubles
1. Maros Horny/John Collins (Maryland) def. Julian Sullivan/Sean Weber (NCSU), 8-4.
2. Tommy Laine/Vlad Stefan (Maryland) def. Robbie Mudge/Jaime Pulgar (NCSU), 8-4.
3. Dominic Hodgson/Austin Powell (NCSU) def. Jesse Kiuru/Andy Magee (Md.), 8-5.
Order of finish: 3, 1, 2.
Players Mentioned
