ATHENS, Georgia (theACC.com) – Fourth-seeded Virginia battled back from a 3-1 deficit to defeat top-seeded Wake Forest, 4-3, in an all-ACC semifinal Saturday at the NCAA Division I Men’s Tennis Championship at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex in Athens, Georgia.
 
With the win, the Cavaliers advance to Sunday’s national championship match against No. 2 seed Texas at 2 p.m. ET. The title match will stream live on ESPN+.
 
Virginia earned its first win of the season over Wake Forest after dropping both previous meetings, including a 4-2 loss in the ACC Championship final on April 19. The Cavaliers will play for the NCAA title for the ninth time since 2011 and are seeking the program’s seventh national championship.
 
Wake Forest claimed the early advantage by securing the doubles point. The nation’s top-ranked duo of DK Suresh Ekambaram and Andrew Delgado earned a 6-3 victory on court one, while Mees Rottgering and Kacper Szymkowiak clinched the point with a 6-4 win on court two.
 
Virginia answered quickly in singles play as top-ranked Dylan Dietrich rallied for a 2-6, 6-0, 6-3 win on court one to even the match at 1-1.
 
The Demon Deacons regained momentum with consecutive straight-set victories. No. 38 Rottgering defeated No. 21 Keegan Rice, 6-4, 6-3 on court two before Szymkowiak earned a 6-4, 6-2 win on court six to put Wake Forest ahead 3-1 and within one point of the championship match.
 
The Cavaliers mounted their comeback beginning on court five, where Stiles Brockett outlasted Joaquin Guilleme in three sets, 3-6, 7-6 (7), 6-3. Moments later, No. 114 Jangjun Kim leveled the match at 3-3 with a 7-5, 5-7, 6-2 victory over No. 28 Luca Pow on court three.
 
The semifinal ultimately came down to court four, where No. 58 Andres Santamarta Roig delivered the clinching point. After dropping the opening set 6-3, Santamarta Roig responded by winning a second-set tiebreak before closing out a 3-6, 7-6 (7), 6-4 victory to send Virginia into the national title match.
 
Wake Forest concludes its season after winning the 2026 ACC Men’s Tennis Championship and earning the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.