Duke Claims Thrilling 4-3 Victory over No. 13 Florida Sate

Sunday, March 17

Tallahassee, Fla.

1 p.m.

Duke University

Florida State

For the second time in as many matches it was graduate student Andrew Zhang who clinched the win for No. 17 Duke men’s tennis and this time it was over No. 13 Florida State, 4-3, on Sunday afternoon at the Scott Speicher Memorial Tennis Center.

Duke Claims Thrilling 4-3 Victory over No. 13 Florida Sate

3/17/2024 8:57:00 PM | Men's Tennis

Box Score

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – For the second time in as many matches it was graduate student Andrew Zhang who clinched the win for No. 17 Duke men's tennis and this time it was over No. 13 Florida State, 4-3, on Sunday afternoon at the Scott Speicher Memorial Tennis Center.

Zhang's victory was his fourth match-clinching win of the year and the 12th of his career. He trailed Youcef Rihane, 4-0, in the third frame but rallied back to earn the 7-6 (3) tiebreak victory for his 10th dual win this season.

Duke improves to 13-7 overall and 5-2 in ACC play, while Florida State drops to 13-4 and 3-2, respectively.

How It Happened

Faris Khan and Teddy Truwit started doubles play with a 6-3 victory over Jamie Connel and Alex Bulte on court three. No. 29 Garrett Johns and Pedro Rodenas followed suit with a 6-4 upset win over No. 14 Antoine Cornut-Chauvinc and Joshua Dous-Karpenschif on the main court to clinch the doubles point. The match between No. 21 Michael Heller and Zhang against Rihane and Loris Pourroy on court two went unfinished with the Blue Devils leading, 5-4.
The Seminoles jumped in front, 2-1, early in singles action following wins on courts four and one, respectively.
No. 66 Rodenas then knotted the score at 2-2 thanks to 6-4, 6-4 victories over Pourroy on court two.
Florida State answered with another win on court six to pull back in front at 3-2 with two matches remaining.
Rookie Alexander Visser kept Duke alive with his thrilling three-set victory over Dous-Karpenschif on court five. Visser dropped a 7-6 (6) nailbiter in his opening set but rebounded for 6-3, 7-6 (3) wins to earn the come-from-behind victory.
With the overall match tied at 3-3, the contest would ultimately be decided by the outcome on court three. Zhang posted a 6-2 victory in his first set against Rihane but dropped the second, 7-5. Fortunately, the Bloomfield Hills, Mich., native bounced back to claim the 7-6 (3) tiebreak win to secure the victory for the visitors.

Notes

Zhang earned his fourth match-clinching win of the season and the 12th of his career.
He improves to 9-4 on court three and 5-2 in ACC play.
Rodenas tallied his 10th dual victory of the year.
Johns and Rodenas registered their 12th doubles win and improved to 9-1 over their last 10 matches.

Quotes
"That was an amazing college tennis match to be a part of. I feel for Florida State because they played a heck of a match and competed well enough to win. I am especially proud of my team. This is a special win, and honestly an incredible effort at the end from [Alexander] Visser and [Andrew] Zhang. Zhang was down and out and trailing 4-0 in the third and then 5-2 but just kept fighting and somehow worked his way back into the match. Our team support was off the charts at the end and helped push us over the line in two, third-set tiebreakers to clinch the team win. We showed a lot of heart and grit today and I couldn't be happier for the guys." – Duke head coach Ramsey Smith on his thoughts from the match

Next Match
Duke is back in Durham when it plays host to Louisville and Notre Dame on March 29 and March 31, respectively. The Blue Devils face off against the Cardinals on Friday at 5 p.m. before welcoming the Fighting Irish on Sunday at noon. Both matches will be played at Ambler Tennis Stadium with Friday's match being a Royal Blue contest.

Results
Doubles (3,1*)
1. #29 Garrett Johns/Pedro Rodenas (DU) def. #14 A. Cornut-Chauvinc/J. Dous-Karpenschif (FSU) 6-4
2. Youcef Rihane/Loris Pourroy (FSU) vs. #21 Michael Heller/Andrew Zhang (DU) 4-5, unfinished
3. Faris Khan/Teddy Truwit (DU) def. Jamie Connel/Alex Bulte (FSU) 6-3

Singles (4,1,2,6,5,3*)
1. #4 A. Cornut-Chauvinc (FSU) def. #47 Garrett Johns (DU) 6-4, 6-3
2. #66 Pedro Rodenas (DU) def. Loris Pourroy (FSU) 6-4, 6-4
3. Andrew Zhang (DU) def. Youcef Rihane (FSU) 6-2, 5-7, 7-6 (7-3)
4. Jamie Connel (FSU) def. Connor Krug (DU) 6-2, 6-2
5. Alexander Visser (DU) def. J. Dous-Karpenschif (FSU) 6-7 (6-8), 6-3, 7-6 (7-3)
6. Alex Bulte (FSU) def. Jake Krug (DU) 6-3, 3-6, 6-3

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

Duke Centennial
In 2024, Duke celebrates its Centennial, marking one hundred years since Trinity College became Duke University. Duke will use this historic milestone to deepen the understanding of its history, inspire pride and strengthen bonds and partnerships, and prepare for a second century of continued excellence and impactful leadership. To learn more, please visit 100.duke.edu

#GoDuke