Ian Mayew and Chris Xu kept Carolina rolling at the 2026 Intercollegiate Carolina Regional on Sunday, each winning in singles to reach the semifinals at the Carolina Tennis Center in Columbia, S.C.
With one more victory, both Tar Heels can lock up spots in the 2026 NCAA Singles Championship, which will be played next month in Orlando.
Mayew, a sophomore from Cary, N.C., handled the ITA’s No. 117-ranked player, Matisse Farzam of Clemson, in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4. Xu, a Canadian junior, had to dig in after dropping the opening set before finishing off Clemson’s Henrik Bladelius, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.
For Mayew, the run is aimed at a second straight NCAA trip. Xu is chasing his first berth in singles.
The two also helped Carolina take another step in doubles. Sophomores Mayew and Kase Schinnerer beat NC State’s William Manning and Jules Leroux, ranked No. 27, by an 8-5 count to move into the semifinals.
Monday will bring the finish to the regional in Columbia, and the stakes are clear: the two singles finalists and the doubles champion will earn spots in the 2026 NCAA Individual Championships.
Carolina has already logged a long regional slate before Sunday’s breakthrough. In Friday’s main draw, Xu opened with a 7-6 (4), 6-4 win over NC State’s William Manning, while Ian Mayew beat Alex Degabriele of UNCW, 6-1, 6-3.
Will Mayew also picked up a win over Andrii Borodatiuk of SC State, 6-3, 6-3, and Nick Mangiapane advanced past Jack Deveney of Wofford, 4-6, 6-0, 7-6 (6). Sebastian Sec added a 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-3 win over South Carolina’s Paul Barbier Gazeu.
The doubles draw has featured its share of movement as well. On Friday, Ian Mayew and Schinnerer opened with an 8-1 win, while Niels Ratiu and Xu advanced 8-2. By Saturday, Mayew and Schinnerer had added another win, beating South Carolina’s William Moxon and Antonin Witz, 8-4.
Sunday’s quarterfinal victories put both Tar Heel singles players one step from Orlando, with the regional set to wrap up Monday.
In Other News...
Tre Miller Gave UNC A Breakout Game And A Bigger Worry
Tre Millers day against Pitt looked like the kind every defensive back hopes for when the season starts to stretch into November. He piled up four tackles, knocked away two passes and came away with his first career interception, then collected more recognition afterward when he was named ACC Defensive Back of the Week and landed on PFFs National Team of the Week.
The bigger story, though, is what followed the breakout. Miller suffered a significant lower-body injury in the game, and the expectation is that he will miss the rest of the 2026 season, leaving North Carolina to absorb both the loss of a rising contributor and the frustration of seeing a milestone performance cut short. [Read more 🡒]
Billy Edwards Jr. Still Left UNC With One Big Offensive Concern
North Carolina got back in the win column with a 21-17 victory over Pittsburgh, snapping a two-game skid and giving the Tar Heels a much-needed reset. Billy Edwards Jr. did his part to steady things, finishing 18 of 26 for 249 yards with two touchdowns, and he got help from Jordan Shipp and Easter as UNC pieced together enough offense to survive a tight game.
Even so, the performance still left one familiar concern hanging over the Tar Heels. Edwards was inconsistent, and while he moved the ball effectively at times, he also showed a reluctance to challenge defenses vertically and threw two interceptions, reminders that the offense is still searching for cleaner, more complete rhythm. A win helps, but UNC will need more certainty from its quarterback play if it wants this improvement to last. [Read more 🡒]
UNC Suddenly Has A Depth Story Fans Can Believe In
Against Pitt, North Carolina learned something useful about its roster beyond the final score. Several starters went down during the game, which forced backups and freshmen into bigger roles than they were expecting, and the result was a reminder of how quickly depth gets tested in college football. Bill Belichicks long-standing emphasis on being ready when opportunity arrives fit the moment neatly, because UNC needed players who had not taken many practice reps to hold up in a tight game against a ranked opponent.
Those reserves answered the call well enough to help push the Tar Heels to a 21-17 win, and the best part for UNC is that the contributions did not come from one spot alone. Multiple less experienced players found ways to matter, which is the kind of development a staff can point to when injuries start piling up. The bigger question now is whether that showing was a one-game survival act or the start of a deeper rotation the Tar Heels can trust as the season moves on. [Read more 🡒]