The Seahawks brought the rain to Ambler Tennis Stadium for the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Despite the sporadic periods of torrential rain that interrupted the match twice, the Blue Devils managed to sweep UNC-Wilmington 4-0 Saturday to advance to the Round of 16. Though the match began outdoors at Ambler Tennis Stadium, it finished indoors at the Sheffield Tennis Center.
Before the rain, the Blue Devils locked up the first point of the match. Following freshman Michael Redlicki and sophomore Jason Tahir’s 8-5 loss on court two, junior Fred Saba and freshman Bruno Semenzato who rallied back from a 5-3 deficit to clinch the doubles point in a tight 8-6 battle.
An unforced forehand error by UNC-Wilmington’s Kaue Pereira gave Duke a key break with the pro-set tied at six games apiece. Saba then unleashed a powerful serve out wide at 7-6 to secure the win.
All singles courts had concluded their first sets before the first rain delay. The goal was to handle the delay better than the opponents, which Duke head coach Ramsey Smith said the team handled extremely well.
“It naturally could have been a turning point for the other team,” head coach Ramsey Smith said. “I was worried that this delay would help them regroup and get fired up, but our guys came out really strong after the first delay.”
Sophomore Rafael Hemmeler made quick work of Pereira. After taking the first set 6-0, Hemmeler fought off a second-set rally by Pereira to take the set 7-5.
“I knew that the second set was going to be harder,” Hemmeler said. “I knew he would put everything he had into the second set because it could be his last match of the season, which is why it was a little bit closer.”
The match transitioned indoors after the second downpour of the afternoon, with the Blue Devils already holding a 2-0 advantage. After Tahir’s 6-1, 6-1 win against Kosta Blank, freshman Josh Levine stepped up to clinch the match Duke with his first-career postseason win.
After taking control of the first set with a break of serve at 3-2, the rookie went on to secure a 6-3 win before the first rain delay. Only two points away from victory, Levine was forced to conclude his match indoors, where he secured the final set 6-2.
“I just competed well,” Levine said. “I started off not hitting the ball that clean, but Ramsey just told me to keep competing and to find a way, and that’s what happened.”
Levine said that although he usually relies on his backhand as his weapon, his serve is what kept him out of trouble against the Seahawks’ Zach Hublitz.
“I was on a roll when the rain came,” Levine said. “I had the momentum and it got killed a little bit but I just hopped the shower to stay warm and was ready to go after the first rain delay.”
The Blue Devils will face No. 8 seed Kentucky in the Round of 16 Thursday in Urbana, Ill., and Smith said he hopes that this coming week of practice will be as productive as the last.
“On paper, we’re not supposed to win anymore,” Smith said. “We’re the ninth seed and Kentucky is the eighth seed, but I felt like this was the big match. After getting through today, I feel really good going forward.”
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