Upcoming Event: Men's Tennis versus ATP Challenger 75 on October 26, 2025
Men's Tennis
vs ATP Challenger 75
Men's Tennis Claims Ninth ACC Tournament Title; Earns Automatic Bid to NCAA Tournament
4/27/2000 1:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
1999-2000 Duke Men's Tennis
News & Notes
22-5 Overall ** 8-0 ACC ** Ranked No. 6 ** 2000 ACC Champions
22-5 Overall ** 8-0 ACC ** Ranked No. 6 ** 2000 ACC Champions
The Duke men's tennis team won the 2000 Atlantic Coast Conference championship on April 23 at The Racquet Club of the South in Norcross, Ga. The Blue Devils defeated N.C. State in the quarterfinals (5-0), Virginia in the semis (6-1) and 20th-ranked North Carolina (4-1) in the finals to capture their third straight and ninth overall conference crown. Duke has won the ACC men's tennis title in eight of the last 10 seasons. Duke's only other title came in 1982, when the Blue Devils defeated Clemson in Durham.
Along with the conference championship came an automatic bid to the NCAA Men's Tennis Championship. The tournament begins with 64 teams competing at 16 different regional sites in first and second round, single-elimination format on May 13-14. The top 16 teams to advance from each region will compete for the national title at the University of Georgia, May 20-28.
The bracket for the championship will be announced on May 4, 2000 at 4:30 p.m.
Smith Named ACC Tournament MVP...
Duke junior Ramsey Smith (Hilton Head, S.C.) was named the ACC Tournament MVP after winning both of his singles matches
and all three doubles during the weekend. Smith, ranked 26th nationally and playing No. 2 singles, topped Virginia's 51st-ranked
Huntley Montgomery 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 in the semis and UNC's Assaf Drori 7-6(6), 6-0 in the finals.
Smith's honor marked the third straight season a Duke player has been named Tournament MVP. Ten Blue Devils have captured the honor through the years.
Lapidus in 10th Season at the Helm, Notched 200th Win...
Duke head coach Jay Lapidus, now in his 10th season at the helm of the Blue Devil men's tennis program, is one of the most
successful coaches in Duke history. The four-time ACC Coach of the Year and two-time ITA Region Coach of the Year has led the
Blue Devils to eight of their nine overall ACC Championships and seven NCAA Championship appearances.
Lapidus, a three-time All-America and former No. 1 ranked collegiate player at Princeton, has compiled an amazing record during his Duke tenure. Since the 1990-91 season, the Blue Devils are 216-59 overall (.785) and 72-6 in the ACC (.923). Lapidus notched his 200th victory on February 25th of this season with a 4-3 win over fifth-ranked Mississippi.
Streaking Through the ACC...
For the fourth straight year, the Duke men's tennis team posted a perfect 8-0 mark against league competition. The Blue Devils
have not lost a regular season conference match since April 11, 1996, a 4-3 decision to North Carolina in Durham. Since then they
have won 33 straight matches against league opponents with undefeated seasons in 1997, 98, 99 and now 2000.
Root Nearing Century Mark...
Senior Doug Root (Mendham, N.J.) needs just two more wins to hit the 100 career victories plateau. Currently with a 98-77 career
record, Root has played at No. 1 singles for most of his Duke career. The three-time All-ACC selection has also earned a spot in
the NCAA singles championships the last three seasons. So far this season Root has posted a 21-19 record and 9-14 in dual
matches, mainly at No. 1.
Cerenko Still Perfect in the ACC...
Junior Marko Cerenko (Atlanta, Ga.) has a streak of his own still intact -- he has not lost an ACC match during his entire Duke
career. Currently 23-0 through three seasons of competition, Cerenko went 8-0 against the league this year, playing in the No. 4-6
slots. He was the ACC flight champion at No. 6 singles both his freshman and sophomore seasons with a 7-0 record in 1997-98
and an 8-0 mark in 1998-99.
Pedroso, Cerenko Hit the Big 3-0...
Two Blue Devils have already reached the 30-win mark for this season -- juniors Marko Cerenko and Andres Pedroso (Coral
Gables, Fla.). Pedroso currently has a season record of 30-13, having notched his 30th win over Virginia's John Winter in the ACC
semifinals last weekend. Cerenko, who sits at 32-10 so far this season, also captured his 30th victory against Virginia, defeating
Michael Duquette in the final regular season match.
For both players, it marks the first time they have reached the 30-win mark in a season. They are also the first ones to do it since Ramsey Smith notched 35 victories as a freshman in the 1997-98 season. Thirty-five season victories is the most by a single player since such records were kept, dating back to the 1988 season. Smith tied Jason Rayman's 35 season victories, set in 1993.
Root and Smith - A Winning Combination...
Duke's top-ranked doubles team all season has been the tandem of senior Doug Root and junior Ramsey Smith. The duo has been
ranked nearly all season, and have been sitting in the No. 8 spot nationally for the last month. They have posted a 26-7 record, with
a 19-6 record in dual doubles (6-1 ACC). Along the way they have defeated 10 ranked opponents, with wins over top 15 teams
from Virginia, Virgnia Commonwealth, Texas and Clemson.
The combination of Root/Smith has provided Lapidus with much-needed consistency in the doubles lineup, as they are the only two players on the team to have just one doubles partner throughout the year.
Root/Smith's 26 season wins so far this year are the most ever for a Duke doubles team since such records were kept, beginning with the 1989 season. They surpassed former Blue Devils Dmitry Muzyka and Jordan Wile, who posted 24 wins together a year ago.
Oh Captain, My Captain...
Duke's three seniors are serving as the team's tri-captains this season: Pedro Escudero (Valladolid, Spain), Porter Jones (Mequon, Wis.) and Doug Root.
Escudero on the Mend...
One Blue Devil expected to play a key role this season was senior Pedro Escudero. However, Escudero, a transfer from Louisiana
State, played in one tournament this fall before undergoing elbow surgery, and has spent much of the dual season recovering and
rehabilitating. He has won two matches this spring, seeing action against Princeton on March 12 and in the ACC semifinals last
weekend. Escudero was an All-ACC selection last season who was also named ACC Tournament MVP.
Freshmen Contributions...
With Escudero out of the lineup, Lapidus has called on his freshmen class to see action and provide depth in the lineup. The three
newcomers have responded to the call, performing very well in their rookie seasons. Joel Spicher (Geneva, Switzerland) has posted
a 15-9 dual record (4-1 ACC), playing mainly at No. 4. Spicher has defeated one ranked opponent this season, Antonio Gordon of
TCU.
Michael Yani (Boca Raton, Fla.) went undefeated in the dual season, posting a 6-0 record (3-0 ACC), mainly at No. 6. Yani also teams up with senior Porter Jones at the No. 3 doubles slot, and the duo has gone 15-4 with a 3-2 ACC mark.
Duke's third freshman, Yorke Allen (McLean, Va.) has gone 5-2 in dual matches (2-2 ACC), at No. 5 and 6 singles.
Tough Competition...
As they do every year, the Blue Devils have played a tough schedule, with nearly every opponent appearing in the national rankings.
In fact, Duke has faced 14 teams ranked among the nation's top 25, with seven of those in the top 10. Duke's five losses have all
been against opponents who were in the top 10 at the time of the match, including UCLA twice (No. 7/No. 2), Pepperdine (No. 5),
Baylor (No. 9) and Florida (No. 2).
Individually, Duke players have defeated 32 ranked opponents during the year. Ramsey Smith leads the way with 10 victories over ranked opponents, while Andres Pedroso has logged nine wins. The doubles tandem of Smith and Doug Root has recorded 10 victories over nationally-ranked doubles teams.
20 Wins And Counting...
With a 22-5 record heading into the NCAA Tournament, 1999-2000 marks the eighth straight season Duke has posted at least 20
victories. Prior to that streak Duke had only recorded four previous 20-victory seasons (1982, 85, 86 and 88), with a
school-record 31 wins in 1982. The Blue Devils' 25 victories last year were the most in a season during Lapidus' tenure, so Duke
needs to win its next four matches to break that record.
Blue Devil Facts & Figures...
Duke has a 106-49 individual record in dual matches this season (.684) ... the Blue Devils went 38-10 against ACC opponents
(.792) ... counting fall tournament records, Duke is 170-82 in individual matches for the year (.675) ... five current Blue Devils have
reached the 75 career wins plateau -- Doug Root (98), Ramsey Smith (84), Marko Cerenko (81), Porter Jones (80) and Pedro
Escudero (75) ... Andres Pedroso could reach that mark this season, as he currently has 71 career victories ... Duke has put 12
different doubles teams out on the court this fall, combining for a 51-25 overall mark (.671) ... against league opponents Duke went
16-5 in doubles (.762) ... the tandem of Pedroso and Ted Rueger (West Chester, Pa.) posted a perfect 5-0 mark in the ACC,
playing at No. 2 doubles ... Pedroso has had the most doubles partners, combining with six different teammates for a 13-9 overall
record.
Duke's NCAA Tournament history
16-9 OVERALL (.640)
1982
NCAA Championships - Athens, Ga.
1st Round Texas Christian L 5-3
1992
NCAA Championships - Athens, Ga.
1st Round Miami W 5-2
2nd Round Stanford L 5-1
1993
NCAA Championships - Athens, Ga.
1st Round Bye
2nd Round Louisiana State W 5-2
Quarterfinals Georgia L 5-4
1994
NCAA Championships - South Bend, Ind.
1st Round Texas A&M W 4-1
Quarterfinals Stanford L 4-0
1995
NCAA Regionals - Norfolk, Va.
1st Round Clemson W 4-1
Region Final Virginia Commonwealth W 4-0
NCAA Championships - Athens, Ga.
1st Round Stanford L 4-1
1996
NCAA Regionals - Clemson, S.C.
1st Round Clemson W 4-0
Region Final Florida State W 4-0
NCAA Championships - Athens, Ga.
1st Round Southern Cal L 4-1
1997
NCAA Regionals - Atlanta, Ga.
1st Round Georgia Tech W 4-3
2nd Round Clemson W 4-1
Region Final South Carolina W 4-1
NCAA Championships - Los Angeles, Calif.
1st Round Louisiana State W 4-1
Quarterfinal UCLA L 4-2
1998
NCAA Regionals - South Bend, Ind.
1st Round Wisconsin W 4-0
2nd Round Purdue W 4-0
Region Final Minnesota L 4-3
1999
NCAA Regionals - Clemson, S.C.
1st Round Charleston Southern W 4-0
Region Final Clemson W 4-0
NCAA Championships - Athens, Ga.
1st Round Kentucky W 4-2
Quarterfinal Louisiana State L 4-3
Players Mentioned
PLAYER
/ Men's Tennis
PLAYER
/ Men's Tennis
PLAYER
/ Men's Tennis
PLAYER
/ Men's Tennis
PLAYER
/ Men's Tennis
PLAYER
/ Men's Tennis
PLAYER
/ Men's Tennis
PLAYER
/ Men's Tennis
PLAYER
/ Men's Tennis
PLAYER
/ Men's TennisCoach Ramsey win vs NCState ACC Tourney 4/18/25
Friday, April 18
Coach Ramsey Win vs UND ACC Tournament 4/17/25
Thursday, April 17
Duke vs. Virginia: Coach Smith Post-Match Interview
Saturday, March 01
Duke Athletics: A Tour of Campus
Saturday, October 19
