The Blue Devils were flawless this weekend, sweeping Boston College Friday and Maryland Sunday in two 7-0 blowouts.
No. 6 Duke (15-5, 7-1 in the ACC) saw its top player break the school's all-time singles record against the Eagles. Ludovic Walter-who plays No. 1 singles on the team and ranks 4th nationally-captured the 120th win of his career, surpassing current assistant coach John Ramsey's record of 119 victories.
The senior from Vannes, France was up 6-0, 5-0, looking to blank his opponent and walk off the court with a milestone win. Instead, he gave up the next two games, keeping the second set alive, 5-2. But in the next game, Walter rebounded and ended the final set, 6-2.
"He was relieved," head coach Jay Lapidus said. "It was a long time coming and knew it would happen eventually. He was happy to get it done."
Against Maryland (9-8, 1-7 in the ACC), the Blue Devils were dominant in every position. On the singles end, every player won in straight sets. The closest matches ended 6-4, 6-4 in favor of respective No. 1 and No. 2 players, Walter and senior Jonathan Stokke.
In previous ACC contests, the Blue Devils have struggled to tally team points on the lower end of the singles ladder. Lapidus has frequently rotated the sixth position to give players of similar potential the opportunity to compete.
This weekend, however, the Blue Devils at the bottom half of the singles lineup won every match. Sophomores Ned Samuelson and Alex Stone, and seniors Stephen Amritraj and Christopher Brown-players who have struggled in the sixth position-combined for a perfect 4-0 record playing in the bottom three positions of the ladder this weekend.
"The guys are starting to get a little more confidence," Lapidus said. "Stephen needed to play some matches after that knee injury last year. I think the guys are starting to feel good low in the lineup as compared to a few weeks ago."
Against Boston College (5-14, 0-7) Friday, Duke entered singles competition without No. 2 Jonathan Stokke.
"We just wanted to give some other people chances to play," Lapidus said. "We decided to give him a little bit of a break. He's played every dual match this year."
Despite Stokke's absence in the lineup, the Blue Devils were just as dominant, winning every singles and doubles match.
Playing up from the third position, No. 2 Peter Rodrigues, ranked 70th nationally, won in straight sets, 6-3, 6-1. The junior has been a powerful force for Duke this year, notching 17-1 and 6-1 records in dual-match and conference competition, respectively.
This week, the Blue Devils will begin a tough string of home matches, beginning with North Carolina Wednesday.
"We just have to continue with what we've been doing," Lapidus said. "We're ready to face it."
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.