CHAPEL HILL, NC – Duke men’s tennis # 23 fell in a tough battle against No. 20 in South Carolina, dropping 4-1 in their first double of the season at the ITA Kickoff Weekend at the Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center on Sunday morning.
South Carolina delivered Edu Güell and Andrew Zhang’s first doubles loss of the season in court three (6-2). The doubles point would be a battle between courts one and two, but Gamecocks No. 59 Raphael Lambling and Phillip Jordan claimed the point with a 7-5 victory over No. 46 Luca Keist and Michael Heller. Duplicate the action with Duke’s number 55 Sean Sculley and Garrett Johns it was unfinished at 5-5 against No. 44 Daniel Rodrigues and Connor Thomson.
Losing 1-0 in the singles game, Duke won the first set in two courts, with Sculley winning 7-5 in court three and Zhang (6-4) in the fourth. South Carolina had its first singles match in court two, with No. 81 Lambling defeating Güell (6-4, 6-0).
Gamecocks increased their lead to 3-0 with a 6-3, 6-4 win in court six, but Zhang gave Duke his only point with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Toby Samuel in court four to do 3 -1 overall.
South Carolina secured the match on the fifth court, when Phillip Jordan reached the second year Samuel Rubell (6-4, 7-5). Playing to close, the singles matches one and three were unfinished.
Duke returns to action tomorrow at 10 am to play the consolation match and his opponent will be determined by the result of No. 2 North Carolina vs. Northwestern.
RESULTS
Doubles
1. # 55 Sean Sculley/Garrett Johns (DU) vs. # 44 Daniel Rodrigues / Connor Thomson (SC) no result
2. # 59 Raphael Lambling / Phillip Jordan (SC) won. # 46 Luca Keist/Michael Heller (DU) 7-5
3. Toby Samuel / Jake Beasley (SC) won. Edu Guell /Andrew Zhang (DU) 6-2
Songs
1. Nº 32 Daniel Rodrigues (SC) vs. Garrett Johns (DU) 6-1, 6-5, unfinished
2. # 81 Raphael Lambling (SC) won. Edu Guell (DU) 6-4, 6-0
3. # 118 Connor Thomson (SC) vs. Sean Sculley (DU) 5-7, 2-1, unfinished
4 Andrew Zhang (DU) def. Toby Samuel (SC) 6-4, 6-1
5. Phillip Jordan (SC) won. Samuel Rubell (DU) 6-4, 7-5
6. Jake Beasley (SC) won. Michael Heller (DU) 6-3, 6-4
#GoDuke