April 1, 2002

Chapel Hill, N.C. -The 40th-ranked University of North Carolina men's tennis team will play its final home match of the 2002 season on Wednesday against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. Wake Forest (14-2, 4-1 ACC) is ranked 19th nationally and had won 13 consecutive matches before losing to Duke last Wednesday.

The Tar Heels (12-4, 3-0 ACC) have won four straight matches including wins over nationally ranked VCU (#15), Brown (#55) and Georgia Tech (#50). UNC is led by senior Marcio Petrone and freshman Daniel Pinchbeck. Petrone is 13-2 in the spring season and has won his last five matches. In his last outing, Pinchbeck handed 112th-ranked Marton Ott of VCU his first defeat of the season and clinched the Tar Heels' 5-2 victory over the Rams.

Sophomore David Lowenthal, who is currently ranked #46 in the nation in singles, leads the Demon Deacons with a 13-3 record at the #1 position.

Carolina is 10-2 against Wake Forest since Head Coach Sam Paul joined the program as an assistant in 1990. However, the Tar Heels dropped a 5-2 decision to the Demon Deacons in Winston-Salem last season.

Wednesday's match will begin at 3 p.m. at the Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center, which is located on Friday Center Drive off Highway 54 East in Chapel Hill.