After rising to the second spot in this week’s ITA national rankings, the Blue Devils know that expectations are continuing to rise heading into conference play.
No. 2 Duke will hit the road for its ACC opener against Virginia Tech Sunday at 11 a.m. at the Burrows-Burleson Tennis Center in Blacksburg, Va. The Blue Devils are coming off strong performances in wins against UNC Wilmington and Coastal Carolina in a doubleheader last weekend.
Star freshman Nicholas Alvarez—ranked as the No. 8 singles player in the nation—has powered the Blue Devils (13-1) to their quick start. The Lima, Peru, native sports a 9-1 record on the season, including a 3-0 ledger when playing in the top singles spot. Alvarez has been named the ACC Player of the Week twice this season.
The Hokies (9-1, 1-0 in the ACC) will most likely pit either No. 49 Amerigo Contini or No. 74th Andreas Bjerrehus against Alvarez Sunday. Contini—a junior from Italy—has recorded a 7-0 record in the No.1 spot this season and figures to have the potential to push Alvarez on Sunday. Bjerrehus has excelled in the second spot all season, posting a 6-1 ledger. .
Looking at the rest of the lineup, the Blue Devils will look to shore up a couple of weaknesses that have been exploited by talented teams this season. Duke is still looking for a solid No. 2 option in singles, with No. 32 Jason Tahir and No. 99 Raphael Hemmeler competing for the slot. Tahir has recorded a 5-6 record this season; Hemmeler is 10-2 and has teamed with Alvarez to form one of the top doubles team in the ITA.
The biggest key for the Blue Devils Sunday will be jumping on their opponent early. Virginia Tech will enter the match on only one day of rest after besting No. 23 Notre Dame at home Friday. If Duke comes out aggressively, the Blue Devils—who have been off for a full week—could use their extra rest to wear down their conference counterpart and pick up their first conference win of the year.
Following Sunday's ACC opener, Duke will have another full week of rest before they host Miami back at Sheffield Indoor Tennis Center March 15.
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