CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – In the dual season debut of first-year head coach Marty Perry, the Longwood men's tennis team dropped its spring opener at sixth-ranked North Carolina, 7-0, Friday evening at the Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center. The Lancers open the season with a 0-1 mark, while the Tar Heels improve to 2-0.
 
The Tar Heels claimed the doubles point to open the match with wins on courts two and three. Longwood's pair of Alfonso Castellano and Florian Uffer dropped their match against Oystein Steiro and Esben Hess-Olesen at the No. 2 position, 0-6, while Bharani Sankar and Rosen Ilchev fought hard before falling to UNC's Robert Kelly and Ronnie Schneider on court three, 2-6.
 
At the top position, the duo of Daniel Elston and Steed Johnson was up a break, 4-2, against the UNC pair of Brayden Schnur and Brett Clark before the match was left unfinished.
 
North Carolina increased its lead to 2-0 following a Kelly win on court five over Sankar, 0-6, 1-6, while Stuart DePaolo won by the same score shortly after against Lachlan Manser at the No. 6 spot in the lineup.
 
UNC's Brett Clark clinched the match for the Tar Heels from the No. 2 position with a win over Uffer, 0-6, 2-6. The loss from Uffer ends a two-match win streak dating back to the fall portion of the schedule.
 
The Tar Heels added to their lead, as Steiro earned a win against Johnson at the No. 4 position, 2-6, 2-6. Meanwhile, Jack Murray notched a win over Castellano at the No. 3 position. At the top of the lineup, Elston fought hard before falling 2-6, 2-6 against 27th-ranked Schneider.
 
The match was played under the ITA experimental rules, including no ad scoring in singles and doubles. In addition, the three doubles matches were one set with a tie-break at six-all instead of the former eight game pro-set.
 
Longwood will return to the tennis courts as it plays a doubleheader in Fredericksburg, Va. The Lancers will take on Mary Washington at 1:30 p.m. before playing Christopher Newport at 5 p.m.

Tennis Match Results
Longwood vs North Carolina
Jan 16, 2015 at Chapel Hill, N.C. (Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center)
#6 North Carolina 7, Longwood 0

Singles:
1. Ronnie Schneider (UNC) def. Daniel Elston (LWU) 6-2, 6-2
2. Brett Clark (UNC) def. Florian Uffer (LWU) 6-0, 6-2
3. Jack Murray (UNC) def. Alfonso Castellano (LWU) 6-1, 6-3
4. Oystein Steiro (UNC) def. Steed Johnson (LWU) 6-2, 6-2
5. Robert Kelly (UNC) def. Bharani Sankar (LWU) 6-0, 6-1
6. Stuart DePaolo (UNC) def. Lachlan Manser (LWU) 6-0, 6-1

Doubles:
1. Brayden Schnur/Brett Clark (UNC) vs. Daniel Elston/Steed Johnson (LWU) 2-4, unfinished
2. Oystein Steiro/Esben Hess-Olesen (UNC) def. Alfonso Castellano/Florian Uffer (LWU) 6-0
3. Robert Kelly/Ronnie Schneider (UNC) def. Bharani Sankar/Rosen Ilchev (LWU) 6-2

Match Notes:
Longwood 0-1
North Carolina 2-0; National ranking #6
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3); Singles (5,6,2,4,1,3)
Played under ITA experimental rules
T-1:42 A-102

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