There was controversy during the Stanford Cardinal’s match against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons on Friday, specifically during Hudson Rivera’s match against Charlie Robertson. At a critical juncture of the match, a line call swung the set the Demon Deacons’ way.
Ultimately, the home team celebrated the opening of the Arrillaga Tennis Center with a dramatic come-from-behind win and ended Wake Forest’s two-year streak.
Controversial Line Call in Stanford vs. Wake Forest NCAA Match
On Friday, during the singles match between Robertson and Rivera on Court 4, the two were locked in at deuce at 4-5 in the second set with Rivera serving. His serve landed close to the line, and Robertson called it out.
Since there are no line judges at the NCAA level, players call their own lines. The call was not overruled.
Robertson went on to win the next point and took the second set 6-4. However, Rivera bounced back in the third set and won the match 6-3, 4-6, 6-2.
A video of the controversy was later shared on Instagram.
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Rivera’s win proved decisive, helping Stanford pull off an incredible comeback and end Wake Forest’s two-year run without a defeat in ACC play.
Stanford won 4-3, with freshman Jagger Leach coming from down 5-2 in the third set of the decisive match to defeat Joaquin Guilleme 6-4, 6-7 (2), 7-6 (4). The win marked a perfect opening for the program’s newly launched Arrillaga Tennis Center.
Earlier, DK Suresh Ekambaram and Andrew Delgado continued their strong form, winning their doubles match to help Wake Forest take the lead. But Stanford won four of the six singles matches and took the shocking come-from-behind win.
The match was attended by hundreds of fans who cheered Stanford to victory, which lasted nearly four hours. The win takes Stanford’s overall record to 15-7 (8-4 in the ACC), while Wake Forest is 25-3 (10-1 in the ACC).
The Demon Deacons remain in the lead in the ACC standings, with Stanford down in fifth. Crucially for Wake Forest, the program holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over second-place Virginia. But the ACC regular-season race is all set to go down to the wire.
Next up for Wake Forest is the second leg of the team’s California trip against the California Golden Bears. The Cardinal will next host the NC State Wolfpack on Sunday. Wake Forest has two matches left in the regular season, and the ACC Tournament will take place later this month.
The 2026 NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championships will take place in May, following the conclusion of the conference season.
