Duke Falls to Georgia Tech in Close 4-3 Decision

Sunday, March 29

Durham, N.C.

12:00 PM

Duke University

Georgia Tech

Duke Falls to Georgia Tech in Close 4-3 Decision

3/29/2015 5:15:00 PM | Women's Tennis

By: Duke Sports Information

DURHAM, N.C. – The Duke women's tennis team took a 3-1 lead but Georgia Tech would not let up as the Yellow Jackets came back for a 4-3 victory Sunday at the Sheffield Indoor Tennis Center. The loss was the 17th-ranked Blue Devils first of the year in ACC action as Duke is now 12-6 overall and 7-1 in league matches.

The loss snapped Duke's winning streak at eight matches. The program's last two ACC regular-season setbacks have come to Georgia Tech. It was also the Blue Devils' first home ACC loss since April 7, 2013, to Clemson.

In doubles on Sunday, Georgia Tech took the first decision as Alexa Anton-Ohlmeyer and Megan Kurey downed Ester Goldfeld and Alyssa Smith, 8-4. The Yellow Jackets took a 6-0 lead before Duke stormed back with four consecutive wins to make it a 6-4 contest. Georgia Tech broke Duke to take a 7-4 lead and served out for the victory. Goldfeld and Smith dropped to 10-9 overall and 3-2 in ACC matches.

Duke bounced back with wins on courts one and three to secure the point. On court one, Annie Mulholland and Samantha Harris defeated No. 22 Kendal Woodard and Paige Hourigan, 8-5. Mulholland and Harris took an early 4-1 lead, only to see Woodard and Hourigan win three consecutive games to even the set at 4-4 and again at 5-5. Mulholland and Harris went up 6-5 and broke Georgia Tech to take a 7-5 advantage. From there, Mulholland served out for the win and the pair's second victory against a ranked opponent this year. The Duke duo is now 13-3 overall and 5-1 in ACC contests.

The Blue Devils clinched the point on court three with Beatrice Capra and Rachel Kahan's 8-7 (2) win against Rasheeda McAdoo and Johnnise Renau. Capra and Kahan broke a 1-1 tie with three straight wins to go up 4-1. Georgia Tech's duo cut the lead down to 5-3 and 6-4. Duke took a 7-5 lead and was serving for the match, but McAdoo and Renau broke and made it a 7-6 deficit and won their service game to send it into the tiebreaker. Capra and Kahan bounced back in the tiebreaker and jumped out to a 5-0 lead. Georgia Tech cut it to a 5-2 lead before Duke captured the final two points. Capra and Kahan improved to 7-3 this spring with a flawless 6-0 mark in league action.

In singles, Georgia Tech evened the match at 1-1 as Woodard defeated No. 55 Harris 6-3, 6-4. In the first set, Harris took a 3-1 advantage before Woodard came back with five consecutive wins to take the set. It was Woodard who had the early lead in the second set, going up 4-1. Harris won three straight games to tie the set at 4-4, but Woodard broke Harris and held her own serve to end the set. Harris falls to 18-6 overall and 6-2 in ACC competition.

Duke quickly regained the lead at 2-1 on court four, as Kahan topped Alexis Prokopuik, 6-4, 6-1. Kahan, ranked No. 109, fell behind 2-0 in the opening set and came back with five straight wins to go ahead 5-2. Prokopuik cut the deficit to 5-4, but Kahan held on for the set win. In the second set, Kahan jumped ahead 3-0 and never looked back. Kahan upped her overall mark to 16-12 and is 6-1 in league contests.

The Blue Devils extended the advantage to 3-1 as Capra defeated Renaud, 6-3, 6-1 on court one. The two were even at 2-2 in the first set before Capra earned a break and took a 4-2 lead. She was up 4-3 before taking the final two games to close the set. With Capra holding a 2-1 advantage in the second set, she cruised through the final four contests to end the match.

Georgia Tech got a point back to make it a 3-2 deficit with a Kurey victory on court six. Kurey earned a 7-5, 6-4 triumph against Chalena Scholl.

The two were never separated by more than a game in the first set. With it even at 5-5, Kurey took the final two games to capture the set. In the second set, Scholl got out to a 3-1 lead and led 4-2 and 4-3 before Kurey evened the set at 4-4. Kurey broke Scholl to take a 5-4 lead and held in her final service game to secure the match. Scholl dips to 0-3 overall this year.

The Yellow Jackets evened the match at 3-3 overall as Goldfeld fell 2-6, 6-0, 6-3 on court two to Hourigan. Goldfeld, ranked No. 38, breezed through the first set, holding leads of 3-1 and 5-2. Hourigan cruised through the next set without dropping a game. In the third set, Hourigan led 3-0 and 4-2 before Goldfeld made it a 4-3 deficit. Hourigan bounced back and won the final two games to end the match. Goldfeld falls to 22-10 overall and 6-2 in league competition.

Georgia Tech earned the win on court five as Alexa Anton-Ohlmeyer defeated Mulholland, 6-3, 7-5. With the opening set tied 3-3, Anton-Ohlmeyer went on a three game streak and closed the set. Anton-Ohlmeyer took a seemlingly commanding 5-1 lead in the second set before Mulholland stormed back to even the set at 5-5. Mulholland was broken in the 11th game and Anton-Ohlmeyer took a 6-5 lead and hold on her serve for the match victory. Mulholland is now 18-7 overall and 6-1 in ACC action.

Duke returns to action at 5 p.m. Thursday in Miami.

#45 Georgia Tech 4, #17 Duke 3
March 29, 2015 at Durham, N.C. (Sheffield Indoor Tennis Center)

Singles competition
1. Beatrice Capra (DU) def. #92 Johnnise Renaud (GT) 6-3, 6-1
2. #70 Paige Hourigan (GT) def. #38 Ester Goldfeld (DU) 2-6, 6-0, 6-3
3. Kendal Woodard (GT) def. #55 Samantha Harris (DU) 6-3, 6-4
4. #109 Rachel Kahan (DU) def. Alexis Prokopuik (GT) 6-4, 6-1
5. Alexa Anton-Ohlmeyer (GT) def. Annie Mulholland (DU) 6-3, 7-5
6. Megan Kurey (GT) def. Chalena Scholl (DU) 7-5, 6-4

Doubles competition
1. Annie Mulholland/Samantha Harris (DU) def. #22 Kendal Woodard/Paige Hourigan (GT) 8-5
2. Alexa Anton-Ohlmeyer/Megan Kurey (GT) def. Ester Goldfeld/Alyssa Smith (DU) 8-4
3. Beatrice Capra/Rachel Kahan (DU) def. Rasheeda McAdoo/Johnnise Renaud (GT) 8-7 (7-2)

Match Notes
Georgia Tech 8-6, 5-3 ACC; National ranking #45
Duke 12-6, 7-1 ACC; National ranking #17
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (3,4,1,6,2,5)
T-3:47 A-184

#GoDuke