2002 University of North Carolina NCAA Men's Tennis Notes
UNC invited to the NCAA Tournament for the 10th time in the last 11 years.



May 8, 2002

First-Round
#23 North Carolina vs. #39 Virginia Tech
Knoxville, Tenn., Saturday, May 11, 2002, 9 a.m.
#5 Tennessee vs. #25 Wake Forest
Knoxville, Tenn., Saturday, May 11, 2002, 1 p.m.

Second-Round
Winners of First-Round play Sunday, May 12, 2002, 1 p.m.

Probable North Carolina Line-up (19-5 Overall, 7-1 ACC Regular Season, ACC Champion) 

Singles
Pos.	Player		Class	Hometown      		Overall	Dual
#1	Marcio Petrone	Sr.	Bairro, Meireles, Brazil 	25-7	19-4
#2	Trystan Meniane	Jr.	Martinique, France		26-10	17-6
#3	Daniel Pinchbeck	Fr.	Edmondson Park, Australia	22-4	20-2
#4	Nicholas Monroe	So.	Olathe, Kan.		23-11	15-7
#5	Geoff Boyd	Fr.	Atlanta, Ga.		16-15	11-11
#6	Andrew Metzler	So.	Kansas City, Mo.		25-9	15-6
Doubles
#1	Greg Archer/Petrone	14-7	Carolina's Record When...
#2	Monroe/Pinchbeck		6-1	Winning Doubles Point:  16-0
#3	Boyd/Meniane		6-1	Losing the Doubles Point: 3-5
Head Coach: Sam Paul 138-77 overall at UNC (53-19 in ACC regular season matches) 9th year
Assistant: Marc Schwartz
Volunteer Assistant: Don Johnson

Carolina's Men's Tennis Highlights

  • Carolina in the NCAA Championship...North Carolina has been invited to the NCAA Tournament for the 10th time in the last 11 years in 2002 and the 12th time overall since the tournament went to a team format in 1977. Carolina's NCAA Tournament bids have come in 1977, 1978, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001 and 2002. The Tar Heels advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament in 1992. Carolina advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament in 1977, 1978, 1992 and 1993. Last year, Carolina lost in the first round of play to the Arkansas Razorbacks. UNC has received a bid eight times in Coach Sam Paul's nine seasons as head coach. Carolina has reached regional final matches under Coach Paul in 1994, 1996 and 2000.

  • Marcio Petrone has received a singles invitation to compete in the individual singles phase of the NCAA Tournament to be held in College Station, Texas at Texas A&M University May 22-27.

  • Marcio Petrone was named this week as the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's Region II Senior Player of the Year. Four Tar Heels have won that award--Bryan Jones in 1992, Roland Thornqvist in 1993, David Caldwell in 1996 and Marcio Petrone in 2002.

  • Marcio Petrone, Nicholas Monroe and Andrew Metzler were named to the 2002 All-Atlantic Coast Conference team. For the third time in his coaching career at UNC, Coach Sam Paul was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Tennis Coach of the Year (also named in 1996 and 2000).

  • UNC won the 2002 Atlantic Coast Conference title, marking Carolina's 25th title and the first crown since 1992. Both the men's and women's teams won ACC titles this season, the second double ACC title for Carolina and first since the 1977-78 school year.
  • Marcio Petrone was named the ACC Tournament Most Valuable Player and Intercollegiate Tennis Association's Region II Senior Player of the Year

  • Finished with a 7-1 regular-season ACC record, the best record by Carolina in the league since 1996 when the Heels were 8-0. UNC has had a winning record in the ACC 13 of the last 14 years. Including Carolina's three wins in the ACC Tournament, UNC won 10 dual matches against ACC teams. Carolina won 11 matches against ACC opponents in 1992 and 10 against ACC opponents in 1996, the only other time the Tar Heels have reached double figures in dual match wins against ACC teams in one season.

  • Carolina finished second in the Atlantic Coast Conference in the regular season standings. The Heels have finished either first, second or third in the ACC regular season standings in 13 of the past 14 years.

  • After a solid 8-4 start to the 2002 season, the Tar Heels turned it on in the latter part of the season to win 11 of their last 12 matches.

  • In none of its five losses this year have the Tar Heels lost more than four of the seven points in the match. UNC fell to #20 Texas 4-3, #31 South Carolina 4-3, #44 Harvard 4-2, #46 Tulsa 4-1 and #11 Duke 4-3.

  • Carolina played 16 of its 24 dual matches this year against nationally-ranked teams.

  • Sam Paul is now in his 13th season at North Carolina. He came to Chapel Hill as an assistant coach in 1989 and became head coach in 1993. His career record as head coach is 138-77 including 53-19 in ACC regular season matches.

  • In 10 of the past 12 years, Carolina's #1 singles player has earned All-America honors and/or participated in the singles phase of the NCAA Championships

  • Three different Tar Heels were named Atlantic Coast Conference Players of the Week this year. They were freshman Daniel Pinchbeck on March 11, senior Marcio Petrone on April 1 and sophomore Nicholas Monroe on April 15.

  • Both senior Marcio Petrone and junior Trystan Meniane surpassed the 50-win mark this year in career singles play. Meniane is 67-33 in his career and Petrone 66-34. Petrone played his freshman year at Florida International before transferring to Carolina.

  • Five of Carolina's six starters in singles have won 20 or more singles matches during the course of the 2001-02 season. Meniane leads the team with 26 singles wins while sophomore Andrew Metzler and Petrone both have 25 victories. Nicholas Monroe has 23 triumphs and Pinchbeck 22 wins.

  • Carolina did not lose a single match this year at the #3 singles flight in ACC regular season play. Pinchbeck won there six times and Monroe twice. UNC was 7-1 at #1 singles (all Petrone), 7-1 at #4 singles (Monroe 5-1, Pinchbeck 2-0) and 6-2 at #6 singles (all Metzler).

  • The Tar Heels lost only one home match all season (4-3 to #20 Texas on February 1) and one match played indoors all year (also 4-3 to #20 Texas on February 1).

  • Since 1990, UNC has a 103-32 record against opponents from the ACC including matches played in the regular season, ACC Tournament and NCAA Tournament. During that time UNC is 14-5 against Clemson, 6-13 against Duke, 14-2 against Florida State, 16-4 against Georgia Tech, 14-1 against Maryland, 16-0 against NC State, 11-5 against Virginia and 12-2 against Wake Forest.

  • UNC has achieved a national ranking in the Top 30 at some point in the season in 12 of the last 13 years. Carolina's highest ranking this year is 23rd, its current Intercollegiate Tennis Association rating.

  • The Tar Heels have won 25 ACC championships in school history which is more than any other league school. Clemson has won 11 titles, Duke 10 and Maryland NC State two apiece.

  • The Tar Heels are 1322-313-8 in dual matches all-time and 274-63 in ACC regular season dual matches all-time.

    Noting Nicholas...the sophomore from Olathe, Kan., Nicholas Monroe is 23-11 overall in singles this year and 41-24 in his career as a Tar Heel...2002 All-ACC selection...he was 15-7 in dual matches...Monroe finished 7-1 in ACC dual matches this season...he is 21-16 overall in doubles this campaign...was named ACC Player of the Week on April 15...Monroe has won nine of his last 10 singles matches entering the NCAA Tournament.

    Metzler Moments...a transfer from the University of Kansas, sophomore Andrew Metzler of Kansas City, Mo., has made a positive impact this season...2002 All-ACC selection...he reached the finals of singles in the ACC Indoor Championships in January...has a 25-9 record overall in singles to up his career college record to 45-26...was 15-6 in dual matches this season...was 6-2 at #6 singles in the ACC regular season...won seven of his eight tiebreakers this season...clinched matches against Furman and Wake Forest.

    Boyd Bits...a freshman from Atlanta, Ga., Geoff Boyd moved into the lineup and has been a strong contributor all season...he has posted a 16-15 overall record, 5-3 versus ACC foes at the #5 spot...has won six of his nine tiebreakers...clinched matches against Davidson, Campbell and Brown.

    Petrone Produces...the senior from Brazil, Marcio Petrone has had nothing short of a magnificent senior campaign...he entered the season ranked 62nd nationally in singles but was as low as #122 in the March 6, 2002, ratings...currently ranked #31...his senior year record is 25-7 overall, 19-4 in dual matches...he was 7-1 in ACC dual matches...leads Carolina with six match-clinching wins (NC State, Georgia Tech, Clemson, Florida State, Virginia in both regular season and ACC Tournament)...has an 18-8 overall record in doubles...played nine ranked opponents this year, going 6-3...two of those three losses were to players ranked in the Top 11 of the country...the highest ranked opponent he defeated was Georgia Tech's #27 Roger Anderson...has won 11 of his last 13 dual matches.

    Detailing Daniel...a freshman from Edmondson Park, Australia, Daniel Pinchbeck has been one of the best surprises in the ACC this year...he worked his way up to #3 in the lineup and went undefeated in eight ACC dual matches...has won nine straight singles matches heading into the NCAA Tournament...overall he is a sterling 22-4... in dual matches he was 9-1 at #3, 5-1 at #4 and 6-0 at #6...clinched matches against Rice and Virginia Commonwealth...he defeated #112 Marton Ott of VCU to clinch that win...also upset #103 Jason Zimmerman of Duke......22-7 overall in doubles...is younger brother of Kate Pinchbeck of Carolina's women's team.

    Touting Trystan...a junior from the French dependency of Martinique, Meniane has been his usual steady self this year...he is 26-10 on the season, 17-6 in dual matches...has 67 career singles wins as a Tar Heel...went 5-3 in tiebreakers this season...24-8 overall record in doubles...clinched match wins against West Virginia, William and Mary, Maryland and in the ACC Tournament championship match against Georgia Tech...won 14 of his first 15 singles matches of the dual match season.

    Paul Moving Up Charts...Head Coach Sam Paul's 53-19 ACC record places him fourth all-time among conference coaches in winning percentage. Paul's conference winning percentage ranks second among active ACC coaches...Paul has been named ACC Coach of the Year in 2002 as the Tar Heels have improved from 11-9 in 2001 to 19-5 this season.

    Clinching Wins
    The following players have won the decisive fourth point in Carolina's victories this spring:
    Geoff Boyd (3) Davidson, Campbell, Brown
    Trystan Meniane (4) West Virginia, William & Mary, Maryland, Georgia Tech (ACC Tournament)
    Andrew Metzler (3) Furman, Wake Forest, Wake Forest (ACC Tournament)
    Nicholas Monroe (1) Charlotte
    Marcio Petrone (6) NC State, Georgia Tech, Clemson, Florida State, Virginia, Virginia (ACC Tournament)
    Daniel Pinchbeck (2) Rice, Virginia Commonwealth 

    Monthly Records	Oct.	Jan.	Feb.	March	April
Ben Aiken		1-1	1-2
Greg Archer	1-1	0-1			0-1
Geoff Boyd	3-3	3-1	2-3	4-4	4-4
Jonathan Janda	0-3	2-1
Trystan Meniane	5-3	5-1	5-0	7-3	4-3
Andrew Metzler	6-2	5-1	4-1	5-3	5-2
Nicholas Monroe	5-3	4-1	2-3	6-3	6-1
Marcio Petrone	7-2	1-0	4-1	8-1	6-2
Daniel Pinchbeck	2-2	1-0	5-0	7-2	7-0