Blue Devils to ITA Kick-Off Weekend Championship

Saturday, January 27

Fort Worth, Texas

3:00 PM

Duke University

Louisville

Blue Devils to ITA Kick-Off Weekend Championship

1/27/2018 6:44:00 PM | Men's Tennis

By: Duke Sports Information

FORT WORTH, Texas – A tight doubles point that went in favor of the Duke men's tennis team and a double winning day for junior Ryan Dickerson Saturday helped push the Blue Devils to a 4-2 victory against Louisville and into the ITA Kick-Off Weekend championship match Sunday.

Dickerson and classmate Jason Lapidus picked up a doubles victory and Dickerson clinched the match with a 1-6, 6-2, 6-0 victory against Brandon Lancaster on court five.

With Saturday's victory, Duke lifts its program record to 4-0 against the Cardinals and improves to 12-2 in ITA Kick-Off Weekend competition. The Blue Devils are also 37-15 (.712 winning percentage) the last four-plus years versus nonconference foes.

Duke took the early lead on Saturday, capturing the doubles point for the second-straight match with victories on courts two and three. The Blue Devils got the first decision with Dickerson and Lapidus earning a 6-2 win versus Nicolas Rouanet and Federico Gomez on court two.

Louisville evened the doubles action from court one, where the No. 6 team of Parker Wynn and Christopher Morin-Kougoucheff defeated sophomore Nick Stachowiak and freshman Sean Sculley, 6-3.

The Blue Devils answered with the winning point from court three with junior Catalin Mateas and sophomore Spencer Furman topping Ciro Lampasas and George Hedley, 7-5.

Once in singles, the Cardinals tied the match at 1-1 with a 6-1, 6-3 victory by Headley against Lapidus on court six. Louisville then took the lead at 2-1 overall as No. 115 Wynn fought past Furman, ranked No. 81, 6-3, 6-2 on court two.

For the second-straight match, Duke answered with three consecutive singles wins to clinch the victory. The comeback trail began on court four with Sculley picking up a 6-3, 6-2 win against Gomez. Stachowiak gave Duke the lead back at 3-2 when he downed Rouanet 6-4, 6-2 on court three.

In the match-ending contest, Dickerson came from behind to top Lancaster and clinch his first match of the year.

Duke returns to action at 2 p.m. Sunday to take on San Diego. The winner will advance to the ITA National Men's Team Indoor Championship, held in Seattle, February 16-18.

#GoDuke

#24 Duke 4, Louisville 2
January 27, 2018 at Fort Worth, Texas (Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center)

Doubles competition
1. #6 Parker Wynn/ Christopher Morin-Kougoucheff (LOU) def. Nick Stachowiak/Sean Sculley (DU) 6-3
2. Ryan Dickerson/Jason Lapidus (DU) def. Nicolas Rouanet/Federico Gomez (LOU) 6-2
3. Catalin Mateas/Spencer Furman (DU) def. Ciro Lampasas/George Hedley (LOU) 7-5

Singles competition
1. #75 Christopher Morin-Kougoucheff (LOU) vs. Catalin Mateas (DU) 6-2, 3-6, 4-4, unfinished
2. #115 Parker Wynn (LOU) def. #81 Spencer Furman (DU) 6-3, 6-2
3. Nick Stachowiak (DU) def. Nicolas Rouanet (LOU) 6-4, 6-2
4. Sean Sculley (DU) def. Federico Gomez (LOU) 6-3, 6-2
5. Ryan Dickerson (DU) def. Brandon Lancaster (LOU) 1-6, 6-2, 6-0
6. George Hedley (LOU) def. Jason Lapidus (DU) 6-1, 6-3