WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.: After an impressive victory over No. 3 Ohio State, the No. 2-ranked Wake Forest men’s tennis team heads to New York for a top-10 matchup against No. 6 Columbia on Saturday, Feb. 8. The match is set to begin at 1 p.m.
Match Schedule
- Saturday, Feb. 8
- 1 p.m. – No. 2 Wake Forest at No. 6 Columbia
Live Stream: Available via PrestoStream
Wake Forest Riding High After Ohio State Win
Wake Forest comes off a huge victory against No. 3 Ohio State last Sunday in a 4-3 thriller that featured record-setting attendance of 503 spectators. The win extended the team’s perfect 8-0 home record this season.
- Doubles success: DK Suresh Ekambaram and Stefan Dostanic dominated with a 6-1 doubles victory, setting the tone for the rest of the match.
- Singles victories: Dostanic and newcomer Charlie Robertson delivered key wins in straight sets.
- Clutch finish: Ekambaram secured the win in a three-set thriller.
The Demon Deacons are now 9-0 for the season and have swept seven of their nine matches. They boast a 33-6 singles record and 18-3 doubles record, having taken all nine doubles points this season.
Dostanic Named ACC Player of the Week
Stefan Dostanic was named ACC Player of the Week after going 4-0 in singles and doubles last weekend. His standout performance included victories over two ranked players:
- No. 16 Thomas Paulsell (Georgia)
- No. 11 Aidan Kim (Ohio State)
Dostanic is the first Wake Forest player to earn the honor since Eduardo Nava in February 2022.
Wake Forest Singles Records
| Player | Overall | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capalbo | 3-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-0 | 1-0 | 1-0 |
| Chang | 1-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-0 |
| Dostanic | 4-0 | 4-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| Guilleme | 2-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-0 | 1-0 | 0-0 |
| Parichkov | 1-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-0 |
| Pow | 5-2 | 1-0 | 1-0 | 1-0 | 2-0 | 0-2 | 0-0 |
| Robertson | 2-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-0 | 1-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| Shalmi | 1-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-0 |
| Suresh | 2-1 | 1-0 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| Tacchi | 5-1 | 0-0 | 1-0 | 1-0 | 1-0 | 1-0 | 1-1 |
| Thursfield | 2-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-0 | 1-0 | 0-0 |
| Xilas | 5-2 | 2-0 | 1-0 | 2-1 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 |
The Matchup: No. 6 Columbia
Columbia enters the matchup with a perfect 4-0 record this season, including wins over No. 24 Florida (4-2) and No. 21 NC State (4-1).
- 2024 season recap: Columbia finished last season with a 23-4 record, reached the NCAA Quarterfinals, and went 6-1 in Ivy League play.
- Head-to-head history: Wake Forest is 4-0 all-time against Columbia. Last season, the Demon Deacons defeated the Lions 5-2 at home.
Ranked Columbia Players
| Singles | Rank |
|---|---|
| Michael Zheng | 1 |
| Nicolas Kotzen | 40 |
| Hugo Hashimoto | 41 |
| Doubles | Rank |
|---|---|
| Hashimoto/Zheng | 14 |
| Kotzen/Zheng | 45 |
| Kotzen/Max Westphal | 47 |
| Hashimoto/Jayden Templeman | 62 |
| Sachin Palta/Max Westphal | 86 |
Wake Forest Individual ITA Rankings
| Singles | Rank |
|---|---|
| DK Suresh Ekambaram | 7 |
| Stefan Dostanic | 17 |
| Charlie Robertson | 98 |
| Ioannis Xilas | 100 |
| Doubles | Rank |
|---|---|
| Luciano Tacchi/Luca Pow | 3 |
| DK Suresh Ekambaram/Andrew Delgado | 10 |
| DK Suresh Ekambaram/Ioannis Xilas | 22 |
| DK Suresh Ekambaram/Stefan Dostanic | 30 |
Coach Tony Bresky’s Leadership
Since taking over as head coach, Tony Bresky has transformed Wake Forest into a powerhouse program, highlighted by:
- NCAA National Championship (2018)
- ACC Tournament Titles: 2016, 2018, 2019
- ACC Regular Season Titles: 2017, 2018, 2019
- ITA National Team Indoor Championship (2018)
Bresky, a five-time ITA Regional Coach of the Year, holds the program record for most career wins, having surpassed Jim Leighton in 2023.
Next Up
After facing Columbia, the Demon Deacons will head to Dallas, Texas, for the ITA National Team Indoor Championships (Feb. 14-18).
