Duke Strong in First Day of Play in Maui

Thursday, January 8

Maui, Hawaii

All Day

Duke University

Day One at Hidden Duals

Duke Strong in First Day of Play in Maui

1/8/2015 9:57:00 PM | Women's Tennis

By: Duke Sports Information

MAUI, Hawaii – The second-ranked Duke women's tennis team posted strong play in day one of the two-day Rainbow Wahine Spring Invitational, facing singles and doubles pairs from both No. 7 California and Hawaii in Maui, Hawaii Thursday afternoon. The Blue Devils concluded the day with a 3-1 doubles record and a 5-2 singles mark.

In doubles, junior Beatrice Capra and freshman Samantha Harris, competing in their fourth match as a duo, dropped California's fourth-ranked team of Maegan Manasse and Denise Starr, 6-4, highlighting Duke's doubles play Thursday. The pair of seniors Ester Goldfeld and Annie Mulholland also earned a victory, remaining perfect this season and improving to 3-0 with a 6-2 win over Hawaii's Sarah Gealer and Cindy Nguyen. Freshman Rebecca Smaller and redshirt senior Rachel Kahan dropped their doubles contest against California's ninth-ranked tandem of Klara Fabikova and Zsofi Susanyi, 6-1, before Smaller returned to the courts and teamed with sophomore Alyssa Smith. Smaller and Smith upended Kiara Pribylova and Daisy Green of Hawaii, 6-2.

In singles, Kahan faced California's 14th-ranked Zsofi Susanyi. Kahan upset Susanyi, 6-4, 6-3, bringing the Unionville, Conn., native's record to 8-5 this season.

Smith and Mulholland each earned victories over their respective opponents in dominant fashion. Smith upended Daisy Green of Hawaii, 6-1, 6-0, while Mulholland defeated Rebecca Falutsz of Hawaii, 6-2, 6-0. Smith improved to 6-6 this season in singles play, and Mulholland moved to 8-3.

Harris, ranked 55th in the first ITA poll of the year, extended her team-best win streak to six matches following a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Hawaii's Viktoria Malova. Capra carried over the momentum from her doubles victory to earn a win in her first singles match of the season by outlasting Cindy Nguyen of Hawaii in three sets, 6-0, 2-6, 6-1.

Goldfeld, competing in her first singles match since being ranked 87th by the ITA polls, and Smaller each dropped their respective match on the first day of competition. Goldfeld fell to California's fifth-ranked Maegan Manasse, 7-5, 5-7, 6-2 and Smaller was upended by California's Karla Popovic, 6-2, 6-0.

The Blue Devils conclude play at the invitational Friday, with action beginning at 5 p.m. (ET).

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