Duke Registers 6-1 Victory Over Yale

Friday, February 9

Durham, N.C.

5 p.m.

Duke University

Yale

Duke Registers 6-1 Victory Over Yale

2/9/2024 11:01:00 PM | Men's Tennis

Box Score

DURHAM – No. 15 Duke improved to 6-0 inside Sheffield Indoor Tennis Center on Friday night after it defeated Yale, 6-1.

Redshirt senior Garrett Johns earned his first match-clinching point of the year following his 6-3, 6-2 win over No. 73 Theo Dean on the top court. The Blue Devils (6-2) extended their home winning streak to 14 consecutive matches, while Yale (4-1) suffered its first loss of the year.

How It Happened

The Blue Devils jumpstarted doubles play with a 6-1 victory from Faris Khan and Connor Krug over Vignesh Gogineni and Dylan Tsoi on court three. Johns and Pedro Rodenas then followed suit with a 6-2 win over Jim Ji and Eric Li on court two to claim the doubles point. The match between No. 11 Michael Heller and Andrew Zhang against Roee Benya and Theo Dean on the main court went unfinished with the visitors leading 4-3 when the match was halted.
Duke extended its edge to 3-0 after wins from No. 47 Rodenas and Jake Krug on court two and five, respectively. Rodenas won in straight sets, 6-4, 6-1 on court two over Gogineni, while Jake Krug earned a 6-4 victory over Benya on court five in the first frame and a thrilling 7-6 (3) tiebreak win in the second to remain undefeated on the year.
Johns then bested No. 73 Dean on the top court to clinch the overall win for Duke.
Freshman Alexander Visser tallied his third consecutive win on court six after he beat Walker Oberg in straight sets 7-5, 6-1.
The match on court three was the next to finish with Zhang outlasting Li in a super tiebreak. The Bloomfield Hills, Mich., native earned a 6-2 victory in the first set but dropped the second, 7-5. With the overall match already clinched by the Blue Devils, the third frame went to a super tiebreak where Zhang recorded an 11-9 victory.
In the final match of the night, Yale's Ji bested Connor Krug in a super tiebreak thriller. Connor Krug tallied a 7-6 (2) tiebreak win in the first frame, but Ji rebounded for a 7-6 (2) tiebreak victory of his own in the second set. With the match coming down to a super tiebreak, Ji would go on to register a 10-7 win to claim the victory.

Notes

The Blue Devils recorded their 14th consecutive victory at home and are 48-7 when playing in Durham over the last five seasons.
Johns earned his first match-clinching win of the season and the 11th of his career.
Zhang improved to 4-2 during the dual season, including a 4-1 mark on court three.
Jake Krug remains undefeated in dual action and sits with a 7-0 ledger.
Johns and Rodenas as well as Khan and Connor Krug tallied their fourth dual doubles win of the year.

Quotes
"It was a great bounce-back team win tonight. We made some improvements in a couple areas, and I thought we came out with really good energy in doubles. It was nice to get that point, and then a really good start in singles. Yale is a great team. They're really well-coached and are going to win a lot of matches this year. I thought it was good for us because in all six singles matches, we were pushed in different moments, and we found ways to push through. Just really happy with the team win and I'm proud of the guys." – Duke head coach Ramsey Smith on his thoughts from the match

"Jake's been an all-star for us. He's been so consistent. He's won so many big matches. He's playing an aggressive style at the bottom half of the lineup at five and six and just really proud. He's our hardest worker. He puts in the work every single day and it's just neat for him to be in this environment and step up." – Duke head coach Ramsey Smith on Jake Krug's performance

"It's a great opportunity. It's our centennial celebration match. We've had a lot of battles with them in the past. They've had some great teams over the last couple of years so it will definitely be a great opportunity for us. We'll prepare tomorrow and go out there and battle on Sunday." – Duke head coach Ramsey Smith on Duke's quick turnaround and facing a nationally ranked opponent in Kentucky on Sunday

"It was really good to get the win, especially by a 6-1 margin. It creates good momentum heading into Sunday. I played well and won a lot of the close games at deuce. I'm just happy we got the bounce-back win." – Duke redshirt senior Garrett Johns on earning the win and clinching the match

"Both Jake [Krug] and Alexander [Visser] have had really good years so far. They both have come out on top in some tight matches, so it's been really good for them and I'm excited to continue to see what's in their future." – Duke redshirt senior Garrett Johns on the play from Jake Krug and Alexander Visser early in the season

Next Match
Duke hosts No. 11 Kentucky on Sunday at noon inside Sheffield Indoor Tennis Center. Sunday's contest will be a Royal Blue match and will also be the Blue Devils' Centennial event. The Wildcats are coming off a 5-2 victory over No. 8 Harvard in Lexington, Ky., on Friday night.

Results
Doubles (3,2*)
1. #11 Michael Heller/Andrew Zhang (DU) vs. Roee Benya/Theo Dean (YALE) 3-4, unfinished
2. Garrett Johns/Pedro Rodenas (DU) def. Jim Ji/Eric Li (YALE) 6-2
3. Faris Khan/Connor Krug (DU) def. Vignesh Gogineni/Dylan Tsoi (YALE) 6-1

Singles (2,5,1*,6,3,4)
1. Garrett Johns (DU) def. #73 Theo Dean (YALE) 6-3, 6-2
2. #47 Pedro Rodenas (DU) def. Vignesh Gogineni (YALE) 6-4, 6-1
3. Andrew Zhang (DU) def. Eric Li (YALE) 6-2, 5-7, 1-0 (11-9)
4. Jim Ji (YALE) def. Connor Krug (DU) 6-7 (2-7), 7-6 (7-2), 1-0 (10-7)
5. Jake Krug (DU) def. Roee Benya (YALE) 6-4, 7-6 (7-3)
6. Alexander Visser (DU) def. Walker Oberg (YALE) 7-5, 6-1

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Duke Centennial
In 2024, Duke celebrates its Centennial, marking one hundred years since Trinity College became Duke University. Duke will use this historic milestone to deepen the understanding of its history, inspire pride and strengthen bonds and partnerships, and prepare for a second century of continued excellence and impactful leadership. To learn more, please visit 100.duke.edu

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