WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Joseph Wayand and Lukas Steffen earned victories in singles competition as UNCW men's tennis dropped a tightly contested battle to No. 1 Wake Forest, the recently crowned national indoor champions, 5-2, on Tuesday afternoon at Wake Forest Tennis Center.

Wayand improved to 5-3 on the season with a thrilling three-set victory against Charlie Robertson in No. 3 singles. Wayand prevailed in a wild first set 7-6, winning the tiebreaker, 12-10. Robertson rallied to win the second set 6-3, but Wayand stormed back to win the final set, 6-2.

Steffen also emerged victorious in a grueling three-set battle, 6-2, 2-6, 7-5. The senior improved to 5-3 on the season, picking up his second win in No. 4 singles. 

The Seahawks fell to 3-5 on the season as the top-ranked Demon Deacons improved to 15-0. UNCW nearly pulled off two major upsets in addition to the victories from Wayand and Steffen. 

In doubles play, Jordi Domenech and Wayand came within a game of upsetting Luciano Tacchi and Luca Pow, the third-ranked doubles duo in the nation. Domenech and Wayand led 5-3 in No. 1 doubles before their match went unfinished after the doubles point had been decided.

Harold Huens took the ninth-ranked player in the nation, Dhakshineswar Suresh Ekambaram, to three sets in no. 1 singles. Huens claimed the first set 6-3, but Suresh Ekambaram regrouped to prevail in the last two sets, 6-2, 6-1.

In No. 2 singles, Sam Nicholson dropped a three-set battle to No. 56 Ioannis Xilas, 6-4, 4-6, 3-6.

UP NEXT

The Seahawks continue their road trip with another ranked matchup against #48 South Florida on Mar. 5 at 9:30 a.m.