March 9, 2004

Results

NEW ORLEANS, LA.-- The 54th-ranked Wake Forest men's tennis team escaped with a 4-3 victory over #40 Tulane on Tuesday at the Goldring Tennis Center in New Orleans. Five of Wake Forest's ten matches so far this season have now been decided by just one point. With the victory, the Deacs snapped a two-match losing streak and are now 5-5 on the season while the Green Wave falls to 7-4 overall.

After losing the doubles point to Tulane, the Demon Deacons found themselves in an immediate hole but were able to fight back thanks to four singles victories. Three of these wins came in tight, three-set matches including the thrilling 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 comeback victory by Andrew Hamar over Hannu Piiroinen at No. 4 in the final and deciding match of the afternoon. The Deacons and Green Wave were deadlocked at 3-3 and Hamar dropped the first set to his Tulane opponent but fought back to earn his first singles win since Feb. 7.

Brett Ross picked up a tough three-set win for Wake Forest over David Goulet at No. 5 and freshman Todd Paul continued his outstanding season, cruising past Ted Angelinos 6-2, 6-1 at No. 3. Paul has now won five consecutive matches and eight of ten overall.

But the upset of the day came at No. 1 singles where Wake Forest's Derrick Spice defeated Tulane All-American and ninth-ranked Michael Kogan, 7-6, 2-6, 6-4. This was Spice's fourth victory this season over an opponent ranked in the nation's top-35.

The Demon Deacons will return to action Sunday when they return home to host South Carolina at 12 p.m.