March 1, 2003

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- The Virginia Tech men's tennis team narrowly missed upsetting 25th-ranked Wake Forest for the second consecutive season dropping a 4-3 decision Friday evening to the Demon Deacons. Tech defeated Wake 4-3 last season in Blacksburg.

Tech (8-3), ranked No. 49 in this week's Omni Hotels/ITA poll, won the doubles point but dropped four of the six singles matches in the loss. The Hokies had struggled in the early portion of the season in doubles play but won two tight matches to claim the first point of the team match.

Andreas Laulund (Jr., Odense, Denmark) and Stephane Rod (So., Lausanne, Switzerland) upset Wake's 23rd-ranked team of Trent Brendon and David Lowenthal 9-7 in the No. 1 match but Saber Kadiri (Sr., Algiers, Algeria) and Grant Reynolds (Sr., Midlothian, Va.) lost 8-6 at No. 2 to Mike Murray and Derrick Spice. Tech claimed the point when Francis Huot (Sr., Quebec City, Canada) and Michael Kurz (Sr., Stuttgart, Germany) edged David Bere and Brett Ross 9-8 in the No. 3 match.

The Hokies could not sustain the momentum in singles play but did pick up victories at No. 4 as Stephane Rod defeated 124th-ranked Mike Murray 3-6, 7-6, 7-6 and Angel Diankov (So., Yonkers, N.Y.) disposed of Brett Ross 6-2, 6-1 in the No. 6 match.

Tech suffered a big blow in the No. 1 match when 112th-ranked Franics Huot lost the first set to 66th-ranked David Lowenthal and had to retire with a sprained ankle. No. 83 Andreas Laulund lost at No. 2 to Derrick Spice 6-3, 6-1 while No. 74 Saber Kadiri suffered a tough 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 defeat at No. 3 against David Bere. No. 115 Michael Kurz lost his No. 5 match 6-3, 7-6 to Trent Brendon.

The Hokies will return to action on March 8 when they travel to Miami, Fla. to face Georgia Tech in a 10 a.m. match. Tech will remain in the Sunshine State and play Miami at 1 p.m. on March 9. The next home match will be on Wed., March 12 at 2 p.m. against Memphis. All home matches are played at the Burrows/Burleson Tennis Center on the Virginia Tech campus.

No. 25 Wake Forest 4, No. 49 Virginia Tech 3

SINGLES
No. 1 #66 David Loewenthal (WF) def. #112 Francis Huot (VT) 7-6, ret.
No. 2 Derrick Spice (WF) def. #83 Andreas Laulund (VT) 6-3, 6-1
No. 3 David Bere (WF) def. #74 Saber Kadiri (VT) 4-6, 6-2, 6-3
No. 4 Stephen Rod (VT) def. #124 Mike Murray (WF) 3-6, 7-6, 7-6
No. 5 Trent Brendon (WF) def. #115 Michael Kurz (VT) 6-3, 7-6
No. 6 Angel Diankov (VT) def. Brett Ross (WF) 6-2, 6-1

DOUBLES
No. 1 Laulund/Rod (VT) def. #23 Brendon/Loewenthal (WF) 9-7
No. 2 Murray/Spice (WF) def. Kadiri/Grant Reynolds (VT) 8-6
No. 3 Huot/Kurz (VT) def. Bere/Ross (WF) 9-8