The women's tennis team continued to round itself into national title-contending shape with an impressive 5-1 victory over nationally-ranked Miami (Fla.) at the West Campus Tennis Courts on Friday.
Duke head coach Geoff Macdonald was impressed with the team's performance, especially considering the windy conditions.
"Our schedule is phenomenal. Virtually everyone on the schedule is top-25," Macdonald said. "It's hard to continually get up, but we're doing an okay job of it. I was pleased. Miami's tough and the conditions were really taxing mentally.&qu
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Duke, which improved to 7-4 on the season, was led by junior Monica Mraz, who won a hard-fought 6-4, 7-6 (7-5), match at No. 1 singles.
"A lot is being asked of her. She's been playing No. 4 for a couple of years," Macdonald said. "You look to No. 1 and they have weapons at one. The weaknesses are harder to find."
At No. 2 Wendy Lyons had little trouble in dispatching her opponent, 6-1, 6-3.
"Wendy's playing really good tennis," Macdonald said.
Freshman Wendy Fix, playing at No. 3 singles, suffered the lone Blue Devil defeat Friday. She lost 6-4, 6-2 in a match that was marked by several controversial calls and where the umpire was forced to overrule several times.
The biggest story of the day, though, may have been the comeback of Duke's Christine Neuman, playing No. 4 singles. Not only is Neuman continuing her comeback from a wrist injury, but she had to pull off a big-time comeback in her match on Friday, as well
.
Neuman started slowly and sloppily in dropping the first set 6-3. However, the Duke senior came storming back and took the last two sets 6-0, 6-0.
"I was really nervous," Neuman said. "This was the first challenge I've really had [since coming back from my injury]. It was my first real match since October."
Macdonald agreed and applauded his senior leader for sticking the match out.
"In tennis we call it match toughness, and she's not match tough, yet," Macdonald said. "In my mind, going into it, I was glad she matched up with [Miami's] Michelle Fry, because Michelle gets a lot of balls back, is very feisty, and very t
ough. A lot of people would have hit the panic button and excuses would have come up."
Freshmen Karen O'Sullivan and Kim Schiff won on at No. 5 and No. 6, respectively for Duke.
Miami's depth, however, has been severely depleted ever since its former No. 1 player recently turned pro.
With this match under his belt, how does Macdonald feel about his team's chances down the road this year?
"We're eighth [ranked nationally]. With [Neuman] coming back we're legitimately in the top half-dozen," Macdonald said. "By the ACCs and NCAAs we are going to be a damn good team."
NOTE: The fourth-ranked men's tennis team was in Montgomery, Ala., during the weekend competing in the Blue-Gray Classic. Duke defeated three ranked teams before losing to sixth-ranked Texas 5-2 in the final. The Blue Devils are 10-3 on the season and are
in action Wednesday against No. 28 South Carolina at the West Campus Tennis Courts.
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