For the first time in seven years, and only the second time in 20, Duke men’s tennis knocked off the gold standard of ACC tennis — Virginia.
The Blue Devils defeated the Cavaliers 5-2 Friday evening to start conference play on an extremely strong note. The win broke Virginia’s 50-match ACC regular-season win streak dating back to 2020. Duke followed this up Sunday afternoon with a 5-0 sweep against Virginia Tech.
“It felt great. [Virginia has] set the standard in the ACC,” head coach Ramsey Smith said. “I wasn't surprised that we played well, because we had 10 days of really, really good practice, and we didn't put our heads down. We got to work.”
The Blue Devils kicked off doubles Friday on a bright note, led by their transfer class. Sophomore Cooper Williams and graduate Andreja Petrovic breezed past their opposition with a 6-3 victory. Petrovic’s elite service placement and Williams’ baseline and net play made for a dominant duo.
“They complement each other extremely well, tennis wise, energy wise, and they're just so solid, particularly from a returning side. They break every match,” Smith said.
Meanwhile, junior Sam Landau and graduate Remy Dugardin jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead against Rafael Jodar and Jangjun Kim. The Cavaliers quickly bounced back with two straight games, but the home pairing had three match points with Landau serving.
When Landau and Dugardin lost two of those in a row, the tension was high. As Landau prepared to serve, Ambler Tennis Stadium was quiet enough to hear a pin drop. But like clockwork, Landau hit a powerful kick serve and Dugardin volleyed a winner to clinch the doubles point.
In the singles rounds, both sides had relatively new-look squads. Two of the brightest stars in college tennis, Williams and Jodar, competed at the No. 1 spot. However, the Virginia freshman — and 2024 Junior US Open Boys Singles Champion — got the best of Duke’s top gun, winning 6-2, 6-2, and leveling the match at one apiece.
The rest of the singles match went strongly the Blue Devils’ way, particularly at the bottom of the lineup. On court six, Dugardin continued his winning ways with a 6-1, 6-3 demolition of Stiles Brockett, continuing his undefeated streak in dual-match singles.
“He's lefty, he's tall, he can play defense, he could play offense, he just competes so well,” Smith said.
Right next to him, another rising Blue Devil, Connor Krug, moved to 9-1 on the season, defeating Roy Horovitz 6-3, 6-3. The big-serving senior has developed into a regular in the Blue Devils’ singles lineup, giving Smith another talented piece.
It was fitting that Rodenas — who was a part of the six heartbreaking defeats for Duke against Virginia, including two in the ACC Tournament — sealed the deal. After losing the first set 6-4, graduate transfer James Hooper was able to keep the second set competitive. However, the Spaniard pulled through, emerging victorious again 6-4 to clinch the monumental victory.
The Blue Devils moved inside to Sheffield Indoor Tennis Center Sunday afternoon, looking for a sweep of the state against the Hokies. In doubles, Williams and Petrovic took a 4-2 lead, but faced an inflection point at a returning deuce point. The Harvard transfer fired a rocket of a forehand to get that point, and in the next game — which also went to deuce — an errant return gave Duke the win.
Just a few minutes later, Rodenas and Columbia transfer Theo Winegar turned the match in their favor. A break from the home squad gave Duke a 5-4 lead, and a strong forehand from Rodenas clinched the doubles point.
The same singles weapons came through Sunday, namely Krug. His baseline firepower was on full display, and an unceremonious let cord ace gave Krug the 6-1, 6-2 victory. He turned to hype up the massive home crowd that gathered on courts four and six.
“This is the best tennis he's played,” Smith said. “He's just fully committed to swinging, going after it and playing aggressive tennis. And he's playing the right style for him.”
That led to three simultaneous match points on courts two, five and six. Duke only needed two to clinch the match. Even well ahead, things got chippy in Sheffield. The rest of the Blue Devils yelled after every successful point for Duke’s No. 6 Alexander Visser like it was the team’s last, and he followed up Krug’s victory with a 6-3, 6-2 win in his first singles match this season.
Rodenas comically raced to finish his match ahead of Dugardin, but the Frenchman ended up winning first on a missed return from Alberto Orso.
Next up for the Blue Devils is a road trip to take on Notre Dame Friday and Louisville Sunday.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Sign up for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.
Ranjan Jindal is a Trinity junior and sports editor of The Chronicle's 120th volume.