Tuesday night marked the beginning of Duke’s national title defense, and the Blue Devils dominated Memphis en route to a sweep at the Sheffield Indoor Tennis Center.
After coming out with a strong showing in the doubles point, No. 1 Duke (1-0) managed to one-up itself as it proceded to destroy the weaker Tigers (1-2) in singles play. The Blue Devils went up 4-0 in all six of the singles matches and won the first 28 games overall to jump out in front.
Despite playing against such a leser opponent, Duke showed tremendous energy and intensity during its match.
“One of the things we talked about was to be more energetic and to create a better atmosphere amongst ourselves,” head coach Jamie Ashworth said. “They did that and it was good to see.”
The highlight of the night for Duke was the play of senior Elizabeth Plotkin and freshmen Jessica Stiles and Mary Clayton. For Plotkin, Tuesday’s duel match was her first spring season action in two years due to injury. For Stiles and Clayton, Tuesday was their first time in a Blue Devil uniform.
Plotkin came out impressively in her doubles match alongside Stiles, and the pair eased to an 8-2 victory. The senior followed that focused performance in singles as Duke’s top seed and won decisively.
“It feels amazing [to be back],” Plotkin said, “When I was watching the girls the last two seasons, at that point i would have done anything to get back on the court.... I still have that feeling inside me, but it feels so good to have the opportunity to do what i came here to do.”
Stiles also started out strong against Memphis’ sixth seed. Stiles managed to sweep the match 6-0, 6-0, and held complete control in her debut.
The night also went smoothly for fellow freshman Clayton in her Duke opener. She managed to take down Marjorie Ondeck, a Tiger senior, in easy fashion. Her 6-1, 6-0 performance was one of the better parts of the day for the Blue Devils.
And while some newer faces made their mark on the court, returning veterans from last year’s national championship squad also looked impressive for Duke. Senior Amanda Granson, junior Ellah Nze and sophomore Monica Gorny all won their matches in straight sets.
Junior Reka Zsilinszka, Duke’s top player, did not participate in Tuesday’s match so that the Blue Devils’ freshmen could pick up some playing experience.
Duke’s schedule remains relatively easy until its late February meeting with No. 8 Florida. Despite their easy slate in the near future, Plotkin emphasized that the intensity must be maintained.
“We know people will be gunning for us because we have this big bullseye on us,” Plotkin said. “But we’re so excited, and we know what it takes, and we’re willing to do that again.”
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