Match 8
Duke vs. No. 17 Tennessee
Saturday, February 9 l 6:00 p.m.
Orlando, Fla. | USTA National Campus
ORLANDO, Fla. – The Duke men’s tennis team travels to central Florida to take on No. 17 Tennessee in a primetime matchup, hosted by College MatchDay on the USTA National Campus, Saturday evening at 6 p.m.
Live on the Tennis Channel
College MatchDay’s Duke versus Tennessee will be presented live in front of a national television audience on the Tennis Channel.
The Blue Devils This Season
Duke enters the match 3-4 overall, with wins over Elon, No. 24 Arizona State and Middle Tennessee. Duke recently fell to No. 15 Illinois and Northwestern on the road last weekend. Junior Nick Stachowiak is 4-1 at number one singles, with wins against Elon, Arizona State, Illinois and Northwestern. Against Illinois, Stachowiak defeated No. 10 Alex Brown, 6-2, 6-3, for the highest-ranked victory of his career. Junior Spencer Furman is 3-4 at the number two singles position while senior Jason Lapidus and sophomore Sean Sculley are 4-1 at number two doubles and currently riding a three-match winning streak.
Stachowiak Ranked
In the most recent Oracle/ITA Rankings (February 6), Stachowiak earned a singles ranking of 26. Stachowiak’s rank is the largest jump up the poll this week, as he was unranked at the beginning of the season.
Smith’s Take
“We are certainly excited for our next opportunity against a very good Tennessee team,” said head coach Ramsey Smith. “It’s a privilege to be a part of the College MatchDay series and have the opportunity to compete in a nationally televised match at the USTA National Campus live on the Tennis Channel.”
History vs. Tennessee
The Volunteers lead the all-time series 14-11. The last time these two teams met was in February of 2018, with Tennessee prevailing 4-1. Duke has claimed three of the last four meetings against the Volunteers, dating back to 2015.
Scouting the Volunteers
Tennessee enters the match ranked No. 17 in the nation with an overall record of 5-1. Senior Timo Stodder is ranked No. 82 in the nation in singles play, while freshman Martim Prata and sophomore Andrew Rogers enter the contest ranked No. 57 in doubles. The Volunteers’ lone loss came against Tulane, while its wins are over Charlotte (twice), Texas Tech, Wichita State and The Citadel.
Night Matches This Season
Duke is 3-2 in primetime matches this season. The bout against the Volunteers will be the first outdoor contest for the Blue Devils this season.
Up Next
The Blue Devils host North Carolina Central on Saturday, February 16 inside the Sheffield Indoor Tennis Center. Start time is set for 1 p.m.
#GoDuke
