The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Wake Forest
No. 3 Men’s Tennis downed by No. 2 Wake Forest, 4-3
02.17.2025 | Men's Tennis
The Longhorns came up just short in the third set of the final singles match in their semifinals match of the ITA Indoors.
Dallas – No. 3 Texas Men's Tennis came up just short against No. 2 Wake Forest, 4-3, in the semifinals of the ITA National Indoor Championships on Monday at the Styslinger/Altec Tennis Complex in Dallas.
After Wake Forest took the doubles point with wins at Nos. 1 and 3, Texas rallied for the first two singles points from freshmen No. 11 Timo Legout at No. 1 and Oliver Ojakaar at No. 5. The Demon Deacons then won the next two singles matches at Nos. 6 and 2, and while senior No. 121 Pierre-Yves Bailly evened the score with a win at No. 3, Wake Forest secured the final match at No. 4.
Following doubles, Legout was first off the singles court with a 6-4, 6-2 win over No. 17 Stefan Dostanic. Legout broke first on a deuce point for a 4-3 lead, which was the first of three-straight breaks that resulted in a 5-4 lead for him. He then served out on a deuce point for the win. In the second set, Dostanic held and then broke on a deuce point for a 2-0 lead, but it was all Legout from there with a 6-0 run to the finish with only one deuce point along the way for 5-2.
A short time later, Ojakaar gave Texas the lead with a 6-1, 7-6 (3) win over Luciano Tacchi. Ojakaar came out of the gate with a 5-0 run, including a deuce-point break for 2-0, and although Tacchi had a deuce-point hold for 5-1, Ojakaar followed by serving out the set. In the second, it was Tacchi who started quickly with a 3-0, including a break in the second game. Ojakaar got the break back to pull within 5-4 and the next three games were on serve leading to the tiebreaker. There, Ojakaar jumped out to a 5-0 lead on the way to the 7-3 win.
The next two singles matches then went to Wake Forest starting with freshman Sebastian Eriksson falling to Luca Pow, 6-2, 7-5, at No. 6. Eriksson had a chance for a break in the opening game when it went to deuce, however Pow managed to hold and later was the first to break for a 3-1 lead. Eriksson held his next serve for 4-2, but Pow then held and broke for the set. In the second, Pow again broke first for a 3-1, this time on a deuce point, and then consolidated at deuce for 4-1. After Eriksson held for 4-2, the next three games were all breaks, including the last one on a deuce point for Eriksson to pull him within 5-4. Although he evened the set with a hold for 5-5 in the next game, Pow took the match on a deuce-point break two games later.
After that, junior No. 10 Sebastian Gorzny was downed in a third-set tiebreaker by Dhakshineswar Suresh, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4) at No. 2. Gorzny held and broke to begin the match, and after the next two games were both deuce-point breaks, Gorzny held for a 4-1 lead. The remained of the set stayed on serve even though the last two games went to deuce. The second set was then on serve up to a 4-3 lead for Suresh when he earned the only break for 5-3 and served out to go to a third set. That then stayed on serve all the way to a tiebreaker with the first two games reaching deuce. In the breaker, neither player had more than a one-point lead until Suresh extended to a 5-3 advantage. Gorzny got one point back for 5-4, but Suresh claimed the final two points to give Wake Forest the lead.
That lead didn't last long as Bailly topped No. 98 Charlie Robertson, 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-1. In the first set, Robertson broke first for a 4-3 lead despite each player having a deuce-point hold in the stretch. He then consolidated for 5-3, but the next four games all went to deuce with Bailly taking the first three of them, resulting in a tiebreaker. There, Robertson moved out to a 5-1 lead, and although Bailly rallied to within 5-4, Robertson won the next two points for the set. In the second, Bailly gathered the only two breaks, first for a 2-1 lead and then to take the set. Robertson responded with a brake to open the third, but it was all Bailly from there as he set out on a 6-0 run for the match with only the last game reaching deuce.
All attention then turned to court four, where junior No. 21 Jonah Braswell came up with a second-set tiebreaker win to force a third set, but ultimately was defeated by Ioannis Xilas, 6-3, 6-7 (7), 6-3. Xilas collected the only break of the first set on a deuce point for a 5-3 before serving it out. Both players held to start the second set, but three-straight breaks followed by a deuce-point hold provided Xilas a 4-2 lead. Braswell got the break back for 4-4 on the first of consecutive deuce-point wins that gave him the lead, but the next three games were all held at love to go to a tiebreaker. Xilas took the first multi-point lead of the breaker for a 5-3 advantage, but Braswell fought back to tie it. Xilas then had match points at 6-5 and 7-6, but both times Braswell fended them off before going on a 3-0 run for a third set. There, Xilas held and broke on a deuce point for a 2-0 lead, but Braswell broke back and held to even it. Two games later, with Braswell serving and leading 30-15, he was given a point penalty during his service motion. Xilas went on to break at deuce, which would be the only break the rest of the way and end up providing the difference.
Earlier in doubles, the No. 5 duo of Legout and Brown were topped by the No. 30 duo of Suresh and Dostanic, 6-3, at No. 1. Wake Forest picked up the only break of the match in the second game on the way to a 3-0 lead. Texas later appeared to be in position to get the break back with a 0-40 lead, but the Demon Deacons rallied to hold and maintain their lead to the win.
Wake Forest then clinched the doubles point at No. 3 when Xilas and Franco Capalbo defeated Braswell and Ojakaar, 6-4. That match also saw the Longhorns have a 0-40 break chance, which came in the second game and would have provided a 2-0 lead, but the Demon Deacons came back to hold for 1-1. They themselves then broke at deuce for a 2-1 lead and consolidated for 3-1. Texas later got the break back on a deuce point for 3-3, but Wake Forest answered it to regain a 4-3 lead, and the rest of the match was on serve to their win.
The match at No. 2 was then unfinished with Tacchi and Pow leading Bailly and Gorzny, but on serve, 6-5. After Wake Forest held in the opening game, Texas won consecutive deuce points and held again for a 3-1 lead. The Demon Deacons got the break back for 3-3, and the rest of the match was on serve despite each team having a deuce-point hold.
The Longhorns will next play their Southeastern Conference opener against Vanderbilt on Saturday, February 22, at 1 p.m. CT at the Texas Tennis Center.
#2 Wake Forest 4, #3 Texas 3
Singles – Order of Finish (1,5,6,2,3,4)
1. #11 Timo Legout (TEX) def. #17 Stefan Dostanic (WF) 6-4, 6-2
2. #7 DK Suresh Ekambaram (WF) def. Sebastian Gorzny (TEX) 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7)
3. #121 Pierre-Yves Bailly (TEX) def. #98 Charlie Robertson (WF) 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-1
4. #100 Ioannis Xilas (WF) def. #21 Jonah Braswell (TEX) 6-3, 6-7 (7), 6-3
5. Oliver Ojakaar (TEX) def. Luciano Tacchi (WF) 6-1, 7-6 (3)
6. Luca Pow (WF) def. Sebastian Eriksson (TEX) 6-2, 7-5
Doubles – Order of Finish (1,3)
1. #30 Stefan Dostanic/DK Suresh Ekambaram (WF) def. #5 Lucas Brown/Timo Legout (TEX) 6-3
2. Luciano Tacchi/Luca Pow (WF) vs. Pierre-Yves Bailly/Sebastian Gorzny (TEX) 6-5, unf.
3. Ioannis Xilas/Franco Capalbo (WF) def. Jonah Braswell/Oliver Ojakaar (TEX) 6-4
Players Mentioned
