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Thursday, May 21
Waco, Texas
All Day
Duke University
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Day Two at NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships
Duke Men?s Tennis Ends Season in Waco
5/21/2015 5:35:00 PM | Men's Tennis
NCAA Individual Championships Central
WACO, Texas – Duke's men's tennis team had its season come to an end Thursday with losses during the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships at the Hurd Tennis Center in Waco, Texas. Freshman Nicolas Alvarez suffered a three-set loss in the round of 32 singles while the doubles team of Alvarez and senior Raphael Hemmeler lost in the round of 32.
Despite the singles setback, Alvarez earned All-America honors by being a seeded player in the NCAA Singles Championship draw. Alvarez becomes the 21st All-American in program history, and the first since Henrique Cunha in 2012. Alvarez is Duke's first freshman All-America honoree since Cunha in 2010 and just the fourth in program history, joining Phillip King in 2001 and Chaim Arlosoroff in 1982.
Thursday, Alvarez took on Columbia's 17th-ranked Winston Lin and dropped a 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 decision. Much like Wednesday's first round match, Alvarez jumped out to a quick lead in the opening set, taking a 3-0 lead. Alvarez stretched the advantage to 5-1 before Lin broke to make it 5-2. Alvarez returned the favor in the final game and broke Lin to end the set. The two were even at 3-3 in the second set before Alvarez was broken for the first time and fell behind 4-3 and then 5-3. Alvarez got a game back, but Lin served out for the set victory. Lin jumped ahead of Alvarez with two quick breaks in the third set to go ahead 4-0. Alvarez held and broke to get back to within 4-2, but Lin then broke Alvarez and served out for the victory. Alvarez finished his freshman year with a 31-11 overall record and a 13-11 mark against nationally ranked opponents. Alvarez's 31 victories are tied for the eighth most by a freshman in program history.
Alvarez and Hemmeler opened the NCAA Doubles Championship against the 29th-ranked pair of Kyle Koch and Thiago Pinheiro from South Carolina and fell 6-2, 7-5. Alvarez and Hemmeler, ranked No. 20, were broken in the fourth game of the first set, allowing the Gamecocks to open a 3-1 lead. South Carolina's pair pushed the advantage to 4-1 and 5-2 before closing it out. In the second set, both teams stayed on serve and played to a 5-5 tie as Duke fought off a match point to force the tie. South Carolina won its service game to take a 6-5 lead and broke the Blue Devils in the final game to end the match. Alvarez and Hemmeler finished the year 17-11 overall.
Hemmeler ends his Duke career with 116 singles wins and 115 doubles victories, both the fourth most by a Blue Devil. Hemmeler's 29 ACC doubles triumphs are the second most in program history while his 32 league singles wins are tied for the third most.
2015 NCAA Div. I Men's Singles and Doubles Championship
May 20-25, 2015 at Waco, Texas (Hurd Tennis Center)
Singles – Second Round
#17 Winston Lin def. #13 [9-16] Nicolas Alvarez (Duke) 2-6, 6-4, 6-2
Doubles – First Round
#29 Kyle Koch/Thiago Pinheiro (South Carolina) def. #20 Nicolas Alvarez/Raphael Hemmeler (Duke) 6-2, 7-5
#GoDuke
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