CHAPEL HILL, N.C.  – Tenth-ranked North Carolina (19-6) posted a 4-0 victory over the Navy men's tennis team (31-14), Friday afternoon in an NCAA Tournament first-round match played at the Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center in Chapel Hill, N.C.  The Tar Heels, who garnered the No. 9 seed in this year's tournament, advance to the second round on Saturday where they will face 18^th-ranked Georgia. 
 
While Navy has failed to win the doubles point in any of its eight previous trips to the NCAA Tournament, historically the Mids have strongly challenged opponents for the point and today was no exception.  The Tar Heels won the first match to be completed, a 6-1 win by Mac Kiger and Simon Soendergaard over Jan Kjellberg (Fr., White Plains, N.Y.) and Jack McBride (Fr., Chapel Hill, N.C.) at the No. 3 flight.  North Carolina placed the first point on the board when its No. 1 tandem of William Blumberg and Blaine Boyden, the 13^th-ranked team in the country, defeated Jack Dabek (Fr., Dublin, Ohio) and Andrew Ton (So., Milpitas, Calif.), 6-3. The Mids trailed, 4-3, before the Tar Heels won the last two games to close out the match.
 
The remaining match saw Navy's No. 2 team of Greg Durham (Jr., Melbourne Beach, Fla.) and Derrick Thompson (Fr., Towson, Md.) leading Brian Cernoch and Benjamin Sigouin, the No. 90 team in the country, 6-5, when play was halted.
 
"North Carolina served well and backed it up with being able to close off points at the net," said Navy head coach Chris Garner, who earlier in the day earned his third Patriot League Coach-of-the-Year accolade. "Having said that, our one and two teams had their opportunities, but North Carolina proved to be too strong."
 
The Tar Heels proceeded to win the first sets in all six singles matches before winning second sets at three flights to advance to the second round.
 
"North Carolina was able to again use their serve to get some free points and take control of some other points in singles," said Garner.  "Playing against this level of competition, you are only going to get a few chances and when they come up you need to take advantage of them.  We needed to seize upon those opportunities a little better.
 
"At the end of the day, North Carolina is a terrific team and worthy of their lofty national ranking."
 
North Carolina's singles lineup boasts four players with national rankings, but only two of them were able to win a match against Navy.  Cernoch, who is ranked 116^th nationally, defeated McBride, 6-2, 6-2, at No. 4 singles to make the score 2-0.  Boyden then defeated Kjellberg, 6-1, 6-3, at No. 5 singles to increase the advantage to 3-0.  John Peck, who is ranked 110^th in the country, would defeat Durham, 6-1, 6-3, at No. 3 to end play.
 
The matches left on the courts saw Blumberg, who is ranked 19^th nationally, leading Ton, 6-2, 3-2, at No. 1, Sigouin, the No. 39 player in the country, holding a 6-4, 4-3 advantage on Thompson at No. 2, and Soendergaard was leading Dabek, 6-5, 5-2, at No. 6.
 
Navy advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row and the third time in five seasons under Garner.  This year's lineup against the Tar Heels featured one junior (Durham), two sophomores (Lohrbach, Ton), and five freshmen (Dabek, Fishkin, Kjellberg, McBride, Thompson).
 
"It was great to have our two seniors, Andrew Hicks (Sr., Haddon Heights, N.J.) and Cameron Kirkpatrick (Sr., Menlo Park, Calif.) on the NCAA team to close out the year and their careers today," said Garner.  "They have had a terrific run on the team and were able to successfully finish off their four years by taking advantage of their chance to lead the team as seniors.
 
"I enjoyed seeing Jan Kjellberg out there today.  He won a lot of matches this season while also showing great strides with his game.  Jack Dabek lived up to hype (Ohio State head coach) Ty Tucker bestowed on him by succeeding on the court, in the classroom and in Bancroft Hall.  Since spring break, Jack McBride has made a big impact on the court.  I look forward to his continued development.  Greg Durham came up huge for the team down the stretch and finished the year by having a great run in singles and doubles and earning second-team all-league honors.  Derrick Thompson flourished throughout the season.  The league's rookie of the year, he was our team's most valuable player and came up again and again with energy, support of his teammates and timely play to have an incredible season.  Andrew Ton backed up his stellar plebe year in 2018 with an awesome youngster season in 2019 and repeating as the league's player of the year.  He led through example in practice and on match days."
 
No. 10 North Carolina defeated Navy, 4-0
Doubles – North Carolina wins the doubles point (3-1)
1. #13 Blumberg, William / Boyden, Blaine (UNC) def. Dabek, Jack / Ton, Andrew (NAVY) 6-3
2. #90 Cernoch, Brian / Sigouin, Benjamin (UNC) vs. Durham, Greg / Thompson, Derrick (NAVY) 5-6, unfinished
3. Kiger, Mac / Soendergaard, Simon (UNC) def. Kjellberg, Jan / McBride, Jack (NAVY) 6-1
Singles (4-5-3)
1. #19 Blumberg, William (UNC) vs. Ton, Andrew (NAVY) 6-2, 3-2, unfinished
2. #39 Sigouin, Benjamin (UNC) vs. Thompson, Derrick (NAVY) 6-4, 4-3, unfinished
3. #110 Peck, John (UNC) def. Durham, Greg (NAVY) 6-1, 6-3
4. #116 Cernoch, Brian (UNC) def. McBride, Jack (NAVY) 6-2, 6-2
5. Boyden, Blaine (UNC) def. Kjellberg, Jan (NAVY) 6-1, 6-3
6. Soendergaard, Simon (UNC) vs. Dabek, Jack (NAVY) 6-4, 5-2, unfinished