The victory came for Duke Saturday, but not without a strong and memorable battle from arch-rival North Carolina State. After taking doubles points, the 17th-ranked Blue Devils won four of their six singles matches, with senior Faris Khan defeating Anuj Watane for a 5-2 victory.
“It was a great college tennis game,” head coach Ramsey Smith said. “Great atmosphere, great day, the venue was packed and the energy was off the charts from start to finish. At the end of the day, I'm incredibly proud of my team, especially my seniors.”
For the Blue Devils (16-7, 8-2 ACC), there was no better way to start doubles play than with what happened on court one. Sophomore Pedro Rodenas and his redshirt senior, Garrett Johns, quickly broke serve. On Court 2, graduates Michael Heller and Andrew Chan were broken as the University of North Carolina (13-6, 7-3) took a 4-3 lead. If there is a commanding lead on court 1 and the result on court 2 is uncertain, doubles points are decided on court 3.
“Go into your shots with good energy. [Truwit and I] The team chemistry is really good, we're doing well and the coaches are doing well, so it's good,” Khan said.
Khan and Teddy Twitty broke the serve of Carl Pauling and Will Peters to take the lead, taking a decisive 4-3 lead and joining the crowd in howls of elation. Chan and Heller started fighting back on court two, breaking serve to tie the game at 4-4, and Rodenas and Johns handed Duke the first set of the afternoon with an impressive 6-2 victory. Kahn and Truewitt showed focus and determination, capitalizing on the energy mimicked by the crowd after the break point, winning the match 6-4 and clinching the doubles point for the Blue Devils.
“I think it's just the energy. I'd rather do it where the crowd is getting in my face and making noise between serves and trying to get into my head. I’m having fun,” Khan said. “It actually gave me even more motivation to play. I've always played my best game, even as a junior, even in games where people were heckling me.”
“The doubles were phenomenal on all three courts and really grabbed the momentum. [North Carolina] It’s always really tough in doubles,” Smith said. “And the second part was how strong we were in singles. That's something we weren't able to do in the last game against Notre Dame, but we're going to come out with a sense of urgency.” We really talked about it.”
In the singles match, Johns dominated the first set on Court 1, breaking serve twice to secure a 4-0 lead against aggressive server Benjamin Kitay. Khan and Chan each had three consecutive service breaks in their matches, extending their lead to 5-0.
In the end, Johns won the first set 6-1, and Rodenas also won 6-1. The surprise came on Court 3, where Chang dropped seven straight points to lose the first set 7-5, and freshman Alexander Visser's comeback attempt fell short, losing 6-3. The match was close as Kern won the set 6-1 on Court 6 and junior Connor Krug lost 6-2 on Court 4, with the Blue Devils and Tar Heels tying the first set 3-3. .
When the second set arrived, Duke took the lead immediately, and Rodenas finished the second set without dropping a game, giving the Blue Devils a 2-0 lead. Johns then took a 3-0 lead and ultimately won the second set 6-4.
“Garrett and Pedro are phenomenal tennis players. They care so much about the program and play their best in this dual match format. And they were also really, really tough,” Smith said. “It’s really hard to play No. 1 and No. 2, but those are the best players in the country to come away with a convincing win.”
But the Tar Heels weren't going to go down easily, as Krug went down and Visser lost 5-1 on court five. This meant that the fate of the match depended on either Chan or Khan. Zhang, who has the most wins on the team, led 5-1 in the second set and the match looked headed for a decisive third set. However, Khan was leading 5-2 in the second set, and his chance was finally arriving.
“I enjoy moments of pressure, and I enjoy it coming down on me,” Khan said. “I thought, 'I'm ready, I'm the one to step up and win, and I'm happy to be in that position.'
With a 40-30 lead and a potential clinch, Kahn served and hit the ball quickly, and Watane failed to return, giving the Blue Devils the victory.
“Faris was just ready to go. It was his turn. He's been practicing really well for a few weeks and he's been a great teammate when he's not playing singles,” Smith said.
Before the game started, Khan, Johns, Chan, Heller and Andrew Dale were recognized for their contributions throughout their careers.
“They changed the trajectory of the program,” Smith said. “We were in a tough spot when they came in, we were below standards…They helped us get back to where we should be, top 15 and top 10. I'm really grateful for that.'' They all share a love for Duke, a love for Duke tennis and a love for competing, so we'll definitely miss them. ”
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