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Freshman David Chermak narrowly missed a chance to be
the hero against No. 20 Wake Forest on Wednesday night as the Pack fell, 4-3, in a nail biter. Chermak will have many chances to
redeem himself in the future for the Red and White (6-5), and he showed the poise of an
upperclassman in this one against the Demon Deacons (8-3). James McGee,
ranked No. 104 nationally by the ITA, Nick Cavaday and Derek Stephens
each won to give NC State its three team points.
With the contest knotted at 3-3, Chermak and Wake Forest junior Carlos Salmon engaged in an instant classic. Chermak took the opening set in a tiebreak, 7-6 (3), as the other five singles matches were winding down. Salmon battled back to win, 6-4, in the second frame to even it up.
With Chermak leading 5-4 and Salmon serving in the third set, Chermak had three match points to give NC State the decision. Salmon battled back to hold, and promptly broke Chermak to take a 6-5 lead. Salmon then served it out to clinch the team win.
The match started with NC State losing the doubles point for just the third time in 11 contests. Cavaday and Weinacker, ranked No. 6 nationally, lost at No. 1 doubles for just the second time this season with a record of 6-2. McGee and Christian Welte won at No. 2, 8-4, but the Wolfpack fell at No. 3 to drop the doubles point.
Cavaday won at No. 3, easily, dropping Jonathan Wolff, 6-1, 6-0, to even the team match at 1-1.
Weinacker lost at No. 2, 6-3, 6-4, to No. 73 Steven Forman of Wake to give the Deacons a 2-1 lead.
James McGee defeated another ranked player at No. 1 singles, this timing dispatching No. 53 Cory Parr, 6-4, 6-4. McGee is ranked #104 in singles, the Pack's first singles ranking this season.
Welte lost at No. 4 singles to give Wake Forest a 3-2 lead, just one win away from clinching the team victory.
Derek Stephens bounced back from a tough loss to No. 56 Indiana on Sunday with a big three-set triumph to square the match at 3-3 to set up Chermak's match at No. 6.
NC State will take the weekend off before heading to the prestigious Blue/Gray Invitational next week.
DOUBLES
No. 1 - #31 Parr/Forman (WFU) def. #9 Cavaday/Weinacker (NCSU) - 8-5
No. 2 - McGee/Welte (NCSU) def. Wolff/Adamski (WFU) - 8-4
No. 3 - Morgenstern/Salmon (WFU) def. Prandecki/Rozek (NCSU) - 8-4
Order of finish: 2,1,3
SINGLES
No. 1 - #104 James McGee (NCSU) def. #53 Cory Parr (WFU) - 6-4, 6-4
No. 2 - #73 Steven Forman (WFU) def. Jay Weinacker (NCSU) - 6-3, 6-4
No. 3 - Nick Cavaday (NCSU) def. Jonathan Wolff (WFU) - 6-1, 6-0
No. 4 - Mariusz Adamski (WFU) def. Christian Welte (NCSU) - 7-6 (4), 6-2
No. 5 - Derek Stephens (NCSU) def. Jason Morgenstern (WFU) - 2-6, 6-4, 6-1
No. 6 - Carlos Salmon (WFU) def. David Chermak (NCSU) - 6-7 (3), 6-4, 7-5
Order of finish: 3,2,1,4,5,6*
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Courtesy: Karl DeBlaker
