April 15, 2001

CLEMSON, S.C. - Carolina senior Chad Riley outlasted Kevin Gottfried 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(7-3) to clinch North Carolina's 5-2 victory over Clemson Sunday afternoon. The victory clinched the Tar Heels the #2 seed in next week's ACC Tournament in Orlando, Fla.

Carolina has posted a 6-2 record in the ACC three of the last four seasons and has finished no lower than third in the conference standings in 12 of the last 13 years. Carolina's success against Clemson Sunday did not come easily, however. The Tigers, who have battled injuries all spring, came into the match at 5-18, but returned their number one player, Josh Goffi, to the line-up on Monday.

Clemson won the doubles point with victories at the number one and three positions. The Tar Heels posted straight set victories at the middle three positions in the singles line-up to take a 3-1 lead. However, Clemson freshman Lee Taylor Walker rallied from a 5-2 deficit in the first set to defeat Greg Archer 7-6, 6-3.

With the score 3-2, Marcio Petrone won a gut-wrenching tie-break against the Tigers' Josh Goffi to split sets at number one singles. As Petrone and Goffi headed for a third set, Chad Riley and Kevin Gottfried remained on serve in the third set at number six singles.

Riley, the reigning conference champion at No. 6 singles, used his experience to win a third set tiebreak 7-3 and secure the Tar Heels' match clinching fourth point.

"This was a great road win today," Carolina Coach Sam Paul said. "These last two matches have been total team victories."

The match was scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. in Belton, S.C. However, showers in the area post-poned the match twice and the teams made the 20-mile trip back to Clemson's Indoor Facility. Because the Clemson women were playing Duke indoors, the coaches decided court conditions were dry enough to play outside. The match concluded shortly before 9 p.m. Sunday evening.

North Carolina improves to 11-7 overall and 6-2 in the ACC. The Tar Heels will face the winner of Thursday's Clemson/N.C. State match in the quarterfinal round of the ACC Tournament on Friday afternoon.

#39 North Carolina 5
#67 Clemson 2

Doubles

#1 Emendorfer/Darren Knight (CU) d. Archer/Petrone (UNC) 8-4

#2 Cheatwood/Monroe (UNC) d. Goffi/Gojanovic (CU) 8-5

#3 Walker/Eric Cohn (CU) d. Meniane/Riley (UNC) 8-6

Singles

#1 Marcio Petrone (UNC) d. Josh Goffi [#61] (CU) 3-6, 7-6, 7-5

#2 David Cheatwood (UNC) d. Brad Emendorfer (CU) 6-3, 6-4

#3 Nicholas Monroe (UNC) d. Marko Gojanovic (CU) 6-4, 6-4

#4 Trystan Meniane (UNC) d. Micah Thompson (CU) 6-1, 6-4

#5 Lee Taylor Walker (CU) d. Greg Archer (UNC) 7-6, 6-3

#6 Chad Riley (UNC) d. Kevin Gottfried (CU) 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(3)*

* Clinching Match