/
.
No. 4 Virginia Downs Virginia Tech, 7-0
Story Links
April 7, 2017
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The No. 4 Virginia men’s tennis team (19-1, 6-1 ACC) picked up a 7-0 victory over Virginia Tech (8-11, 3-6 ACC) on Friday (April 7) at the Snyder Tennis Center in Charlottesville, Va., earning a point in the Commonwealth Clash.
The match was played in chilly weather and brisk winds with the temperature right at the 50-degree threshold that allowed it to be played outdoors. The Cavaliers picked up the doubles point and then won all six singles matches, including five in straight sets.
Virginia has now won five of its seven ACC matches this season by a 7-0 score. “These were really tough conditions for both teams, but learning how to play in these elements can only help down the road because you never know what sort of adversity you will face,” said Virginia head coach Brian Boland. “This was certainly difficult to play in, but I am proud of the guys. I thought they came out and focused during the entire match. It was nice to see Carl [Söderlund] back on the court after an almost eight-week layoff. It took him some time to find himself during the match, but he got better over the course of his match. It is good that we have a healthy team. All credit to our medical staff for getting us healthy these last couple of weeks. Now we look forward to facing a really tough opponent in North Carolina on Sunday.”
Virginia529, the official college savings plan of University of Virginia Athletics, sponsored the match. With Virginia’s victory, UVA earned a point in the Virginia529 Commonwealth Clash. The score for the Clash is now Virginia 7, Virginia Tech 9. Learn more about Virginia529 and the Clash at TheCommmonwealthClash.com.
Virginia Tech opened the match with a victory at No. 3 doubles, but junior Henrik Wiersholm (Kirkland, Wash.) and senior Luca Corinteli (Alexandria, Va.) evened things up with a 6-2 victory at No. 1. Seniors Thai-Son Kwiatkowski (Charlotte, N.C.) and Alexander Ritschard (Zurich, Switzerland) clinched the point with a 6-2 victory at No. 2.
In singles, five of the matches all finished within moments of one another with Kwiatkowski starting things off with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Jai Corbett. Senior J.C. Aragone (Yorba Linda, Calif.) followed with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Jason Kros at five and Wiersholm clinched the victory with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Freddy Mesmer at six. Ritschard and junior Collin Altamirano (Sacramento, Calif.) finished off their wins at the number three and two courts to put UVA up 6-0.
Freshman Carl Soderlund (Stockholm, Sweden), playing in his first match since February 20, battled against Alexandre Ribeiro at the No. 4 court with the Ribeiro hitting the winning point in the first set tiebreaker after all five of the other singles matches had already concluded. Soderlund topped Ribeiro 7-5 in the second set and then won the third-set tiebreaker 10-4 to wrap up the 7-0 victory.
The Cavaliers finish the homestand by hosting No. 11 North Carolina (19-2, 6-1 ACC) on Sunday, April 9 at 1 p.m. at the Snyder Tennis Center. The Cavalier Band will be at the match and there will be free ice cream and toppings with the Sunday Sundae Bar after the doubles point (while supplies last).
Admission is free for all UVA home tennis matches and free parking is available at the Culbreth Garage.
#4 Virginia 7, Virginia Tech 0
Singles competition
1. #12 Thai-Son Kwiatkowski (VA) def. #103 Jai Corbett (VT) 6-1, 6-3
2. #63 Collin Altamirano (VA) def. Mitch Harper (VT) 6-3, 6-4
3. Alexander Ritschard (VA) def. Henrik Korsgaard (VT) 7-5, 6-1
4. Carl Soderlund (VA) def. Alexandre Ribeiro (VT) def. 6-7 (5), 7-5, 1-0 (10-4)
5. J.C. Aragone (VA) def. Jason Kros (VT) 6-2, 6-3
6. #79 Henrik Wiersholm (VA) def. Freddy Mesmer (VT) 6-2, 6-4
Doubles competition
1. #54 Luca Corinteli/Henrik Wiersholm (VA) def. #46 Jai Corbett/Henrik Korsgaard (VT) 6-2
2. Thai-Son Kwiatkowski/Alexander Ritschard (VA) def. Mitch Harper/Alexandre Ribeiro (VT) 6-2
3. Jason Kros/Freddy Mesmer (VT) def. J.C. Aragone/Collin Altamirano (VA) 6-2
T-2:43 A-267
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (1,5,6,3,2,4)