DURHAM – Senior Faris Khan secured his first match-clinching victory of the season, contributing to No. 17 Duke men’s tennis triumph over No. 22 North Carolina with a score of 5-2 on Saturday at Ambler Tennis Stadium.
Khan, alongside Garrett Johns and Andrew Zhang, emerged victorious on Saturday’s Senior Day, aiding Duke in reaching a 16-7 overall record and an 8-2 standing in ACC play. Meanwhile, North Carolina’s record dipped to 13-6 overall and 7-3 in the ACC.
The win marked Duke’s third consecutive victory over North Carolina, advancing their record to 12-2 when playing at home this season.
How It Unfolded:
In the doubles, Johns and Pedro Rodenas secured a swift win over Benjamin Kittay and Phillip Jordan, while Khan and Teddy Truwit clinched the doubles point by defeating Karl Poling and Will Peters. The match between Michael Heller and Zhang against Patrick Schoen and Peter Murphy remained unfinished.
In singles play, Rodenas extended Duke’s lead with a victory over Jordan, while Schoen narrowed the gap for North Carolina by defeating Connor Krug.
Johns then secured a win on the main court against Kittay, before Khan clinched the match for Duke on court six against Anuj Watane.
North Carolina earned their second point with Peters defeating Alexander Visser on court five.
The final match ended with Zhang claiming victory over Poling in a super tiebreak.
Notable Points:
With this win, Duke has now secured eight or more ACC victories for three consecutive seasons.
Duke boasts a 5-4 record against top-25 opponents this season.
Khan’s victory marked his first match-clinching win of the year and the sixth of his career.
Johns leads the team with 14 dual singles wins.
Duke’s top doubles pair of Johns and Rodenas earned their 15th dual win of the year.
Quotes:
Duke head coach Ramsey Smith expressed pride in his team’s performance, highlighting the significance of Senior Day and the overall energy of the match.
Smith also commended Duke’s senior class for their transformative impact on the program.
Smith praised Khan’s performance, emphasizing his readiness and dedication to the team.
Khan expressed his joy in clinching the match and reflected on the significance of the moment.
Khan also highlighted the team’s talent and chemistry as key factors in their success.
Next Match:
Duke will conclude their regular season with matches against Wake Forest and NC State on April 12 and 14, respectively. They will face Wake Forest at the Wake Forest Tennis Center on Friday and then travel to meet NC State at J.W. Isenhour Tennis Center on Sunday.
