In a polar shift from running the table in conference play, the men's tennis team was demolished 4-0 by the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the semifinals of the ACC Championship at the Millbrook Exchange Tennis Center in Raleigh.
The No. 14-ranked and top-seeded Blue Devils (14-11, 9-1 in the ACC), who still own a 48-game regular season conference winning streak, were shooting for their fifth consecutive ACC Tournament title. It was the first time since 1989 that Duke had lost to Georgia Tech; the last time the team lost in the ACC Tournament was in 1997 when Clemson stunned the Blue Devils in the championship game, 4-3.
"I really don't know what happened," coach Jay Lapidus said. "I'm still mystified. It was the worst match I have ever been a part of."
Duke had problems from the get-go, losing two doubles matches--and thus the point--to a No. 49-ranked and fourth-seeded Georgia Tech (15-9, 7-3). At No. 2 doubles, the pair of Yellow Jackets, West Nott and Scott Schnugg, had little trouble dispatching of Yorke Allen--who was stuck in doubles because freshman Peter Shults had been sick the night before--and Joel Spicher, winning 8-3.
At the No. 3 doubles slot, Alex Bose and
"We just couldn't turn the momentum after losing doubles," Lapidus said, noting that King/Yani were winning 7-2 when the doubles portion of the match was called. "Usually when we lose doubles we come out hard in singles.... I don't understand why we didn't today, I was just looking around and trying to figure out what the hell was going on."
In singles play, the Blue Devils fared no better, dropping the first three points and therefore the match.
Phillip King, ranked 14th in the country, watched his perfect singles record in ACC play shatter when he lost at the No. 1 singles flight to No. 27 Roger Anderson of Georgia Tech, 7-5, 6-2.
Uncharacteristically, King slowed down in the second set. Usually, he plays his opponent tight in the first set, only to blow the second set, and the match, open.
"Sometimes in tennis [guys have fluke days]," Yani said. "Phillip usually wins most of his matches. He's been solid for us all year long, but that's just the way it goes."
Aside from King, the Blue Devils lost points further down the singles ladder. Menano made short work of Zimmermann, trouncing the freshman 6-2, 6-4 at third singles. The Blue Devils lost their fourth point at No. 4 singles when Schnugg dismantled Spicher 6-2, 6-1.
Yani, Allen and Bose did not finish their matches since the Yellow Jackets had already won four points.
Lapidus said that although he thought Georgia Tech--who lost to North Carolina in Sunday's final--played well, his team was just not up to snuff for some inexplicable reason. He was not sure whether they "looked past the match," were not mentally ready or were tired from playing a hard schedule over the last month.
The Blue Devils now have a few days off before the NCAA Tournament starts. Lapidus plans to give the team, which cannot officially practice during exams, a rest. During that time, he and the Blue Devils will have to sit and wait to see whether they will host an NCAA Tournament match, or whether they will travel.
"It was tough to lose in the conference," he said. "I still feel that we're the best team--I think we could beat them eight out of 10 times, and they would probably even admit that to you--so hopefully we can get it back in the NCAAs."
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