Blue Devils Shut Out Clemson, 7-0

Friday, March 24

Clemson, S.C.

5 p.m.

Duke University

[54] Clemson

Teddy Truwit and Connor Krug celebrate after a victory over Clemson

Blue Devils Shut Out Clemson, 7-0

3/24/2023 10:19:00 PM | Men's Tennis

Box Score Photo Gallery

CLEMSON, S.C. – No. 15 Duke men's tennis registered its seventh shutout win on Friday night after it beat No. 54 Clemson, 7-0, at Duckworth Family Tennis Center.

The Blue Devils improve to 12-5 overall and 5-1 in ACC play. The Tigers drop to 10-7 and 1-4, respectively.

Junior Faris Khan secured his first ACC win of the year when he defeated Max Smith on court six 7-5, 6-0, to clinch the victory for the Blue Devils.

How It Happened

Connor Krug and Teddy Truwit got the match started with a victory in doubles action. The sophomore-freshman duo defeated Jorge Plans Gonzalez and Matt Pitts, 7-6 (4), on court three to give the Blue Devils the early edge.
A few minutes later, No. 71 Garrett Johns and Pedro Rodenas finished off Ryuhei Azuma and Spencer Whitaker on court one, 7-6 (2) to secure the doubles point.
The match between No. 54 Michael Heller and Andrew Zhang against Trey Stinchcomb and Max Smith went unfinished with the teams knotted at 6-6.
Jake Krug continued Duke's momentum with a win on court five over Nini Dica. The Lakewood Ranch, Fla., native bested Dica 6-2 in the first set before recording a 7-5 victory in the second.
Zhang made it 3-0 in favor of the visitors when he registered 6-2, 6-2 wins over Pitts on court three.
Khan's match with Smith was the next to finish as the Delray Beach, Fla., native clinched his first overall win this season for Duke.
Despite the match already being decided, the Blue Devils added three additional wins by Connor Krug, No. 98 Rodenas and No. 17 Johns.
Connor Krug bested Whitaker on court four 6-2, 7-6 (4), before Rodenas defeated Plans Gonzalez 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 on court two.
Johns' match was the last to go final as the senior battled in a three-setter against Azuma. The Atlanta, Ga., native dropped his opening set 6-2 but rebounded for 7-6 (5), 13-11 victories in the final two frames to complete the sweep over the Tigers.

Notes

Khan secured his first match-clinching victory of the year.
Johns (10-6) joined Rodenas (15-2) as the only two players with double-digit victories in singles play.
Duke is three conference wins away from matching its total from a season ago.
Jake Krug is riding a three-match winning streak in singles play after his victory on Friday night.

Quotes
"Another gritty team effort today and I'm really proud of the guys. All these ACC matches are tough, especially on the road. I thought our mental game was much improved and we embraced the challenging moments. I want to single out Jake [Krug] and Faris [Khan], two guys who haven't been in the lineup recently. They've been putting in consistent hard work every single week, and they were prepared for their moment today. Not only did they play well but they brought a ton of positive energy to the team. It was fitting that Jake was the first singles match to finish and Faris was the clincher."
-- Duke head coach Ramsey Smith

Next Match
Duke will next face No. 68 Georgia Tech on Sunday at Noon., at Byers Tennis Complex in Atlanta.

To stay up to date with Blue Devils men's tennis, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeMTEN".

Results
Doubles (3,1*)
1. #71 Garrett Johns/Pedro Rodenas (DU) def. Ryuhei Azuma/Spencer Whitaker (MCLEM) 7-6 (7-2)
2. Trey Stinchcomb/Max Smith (MCLEM) vs. #54 Michael Heller/Andrew Zhang (DU) 6-6, unfinished
3. Connor Krug/Teddy Truwit (DU) def. Jorge Plans Gonzalez/Matt Pitts (MCLEM) 7-6 (7-4)

Singles (5,3,6*,4,2,1)
1. #17 Garrett Johns (DU) def. Ryuhei Azuma (MCLEM) 2-6, 7-6 (7-5), 13-11
2. #98 Pedro Rodenas (DU) def. Jorge Plans Gonzalez (MCLEM) 6-4, 2-6, 6-2
3. Andrew Zhang (DU) def. Matt Pitts (MCLEM) 6-2, 6-2
4. Connor Krug (DU) def. Spencer Whitaker (MCLEM) 6-2, 7-6 (7-4)
5. Jake Krug (DU) def. Nini Dica (MCLEM) 6-2, 7-5
6. Faris Khan (DU) def. Max Smith (MCLEM) 7-5, 6-0

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