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Smith Adds Dale, Khan to 2021 Roster
1/11/2021 2:00:00 PM | Men's Tennis
DURHAM, N.C. – Duke men's tennis head coach Ramsey Smith is thrilled to announce two additions to the 2021 roster as freshmen Andrew Dale and Faris Khan become Blue Devils. Both will be eligible to start playing under Smith for the 2021 spring season.
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"Our program is very excited to welcome Faris and Andrew to our Duke tennis family this January," said Smith. "These two young men are known for their intensity on the court, relentless work ethic and love of competition. We're looking forward to helping them maximize their potential on and off the court."
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Dale, a native of Leesburg, Va., transfers from Princeton where he completed his first semester virtually. He was unable to compete due to the Ivy League's decision on playing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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"Andrew is an intelligent lefty counterpuncher who can handle and redirect pace extremely well," said Smith. "He is willing to stay on court all day if needed. I love Andrew's work ethic, discipline, and desire to win. Andrew is the type of kid you want out there when the dual match is on the line. He has a bright and exciting future ahead of him here at Duke."
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Prior to Princeton, the Blue-Chip prospect ranked No. 2 in TennisRecruiting.com's class of 2020 rankings. He reached an ITF Junior Ranking high of 85 in the world and a owns a UTR high of 13.42. In 2019, Dale competed in the junior division at Wimbledon where he qualified and made it to the round of 32 in the main draw singles. Dale qualified for Team USA in 2018 and reached the singles quarterfinals in the USTA National Championships at Kalamazoo on two different occasions (2017, 2018).
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Khan, a top US junior from Delray Beach Fla., trained with new Blue Devil teammate, Niroop Vallabhaneni, while working with his uncle Shariq Khan in Florida. He had a high level of success at a young age and grew up playing with his twin brother, Zane.
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"Faris was a consistent top-five recruit in his class before dealing with a knee injury," said Smith. "He is a very talented player and athlete who faced some setbacks in his junior career, but he has worked extremely hard to return to a high level of tennis and I love his professionalism. Faris is a player with a big upside and I'm grateful he chose Duke to develop his game for professional tennis."
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A few of Zhan's accomplishments include singles finalist at the 2014 and 2016 USTA National Clay Courts and Hart Courts, a 2014 National Hard Courts doubles champion before teaming up with his twin to claim the doubles title at the 2016 USTA National Clay Courts. A 2016 Bolton Teen Tennis Semifinalist, he was selected to represent the United States at the Junior Davis Cup where he went undefeated individually as the team placed third.
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The two newcomers join Vallabhaneni in suiting up for their first season in a Duke uniform while they join seven letterwinners from the 2020 roster.
#GoDuke
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"Our program is very excited to welcome Faris and Andrew to our Duke tennis family this January," said Smith. "These two young men are known for their intensity on the court, relentless work ethic and love of competition. We're looking forward to helping them maximize their potential on and off the court."
Â
Dale, a native of Leesburg, Va., transfers from Princeton where he completed his first semester virtually. He was unable to compete due to the Ivy League's decision on playing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Â
"Andrew is an intelligent lefty counterpuncher who can handle and redirect pace extremely well," said Smith. "He is willing to stay on court all day if needed. I love Andrew's work ethic, discipline, and desire to win. Andrew is the type of kid you want out there when the dual match is on the line. He has a bright and exciting future ahead of him here at Duke."
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Prior to Princeton, the Blue-Chip prospect ranked No. 2 in TennisRecruiting.com's class of 2020 rankings. He reached an ITF Junior Ranking high of 85 in the world and a owns a UTR high of 13.42. In 2019, Dale competed in the junior division at Wimbledon where he qualified and made it to the round of 32 in the main draw singles. Dale qualified for Team USA in 2018 and reached the singles quarterfinals in the USTA National Championships at Kalamazoo on two different occasions (2017, 2018).
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Khan, a top US junior from Delray Beach Fla., trained with new Blue Devil teammate, Niroop Vallabhaneni, while working with his uncle Shariq Khan in Florida. He had a high level of success at a young age and grew up playing with his twin brother, Zane.
Â
"Faris was a consistent top-five recruit in his class before dealing with a knee injury," said Smith. "He is a very talented player and athlete who faced some setbacks in his junior career, but he has worked extremely hard to return to a high level of tennis and I love his professionalism. Faris is a player with a big upside and I'm grateful he chose Duke to develop his game for professional tennis."
Â
A few of Zhan's accomplishments include singles finalist at the 2014 and 2016 USTA National Clay Courts and Hart Courts, a 2014 National Hard Courts doubles champion before teaming up with his twin to claim the doubles title at the 2016 USTA National Clay Courts. A 2016 Bolton Teen Tennis Semifinalist, he was selected to represent the United States at the Junior Davis Cup where he went undefeated individually as the team placed third.
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The two newcomers join Vallabhaneni in suiting up for their first season in a Duke uniform while they join seven letterwinners from the 2020 roster.
#GoDuke
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