April 13, 2014
Durham, N.C. – Thirteenth-ranked Duke swept the doubles point and the first three singles matches in straight sets Sunday and went on to shut out Georgia Tech, 7-0, in an Atlantic Coast Conference men’s tennis match at the Ambler Tennis Stadium.
Tech (7-13, 1-9 ACC) fell for the seventh straight time and will close out its regular season Friday night with a home-court match against No. 20 Clemson. Duke (16-5, 8-1 ACC) held on to third place in the ACC by winning its sixth consecutive match, having also shut out the Tigers on Friday.
The Yellow Jackets’ ranked doubles teams of Eduardo Segura and Carlos Benito (No. 43) and Nathan Rakitt and Cole Fiegel (No. 79) both lost Sunday, giving the Blue Devils a good start. Tech again played with just five players due to injuries and forfeited the No. 3 doubles and the No. 6 singles matches, giving Duke a head start and a 2-0 lead as singles competition began.
Duke won in straight sets at the top three positions in singles. Fred Saba, ranked No. 50 nationally, won 6-2, 6-0 over Eduardo Segura at No. 2, and Raphael Hemmeler defeated Carlos Benito, 6-2, 6-2, to clinch the match at No. 3. Play continued as the Blue Devils’ Jason Tahir, ranked 42nd, outlasted Nathan Rakitt, 6-2, 7-6 (7-4) at No. 1.
Tech freshman Cole Fiegel and junior Colin Edwards took their opponents at No. 4 and 5 to three sets, but lost as well.
#13 Duke 7, #72 Georgia Tech 0Apr 13, 2014 at Durham, N.C. (Ambler Tennis Stadium)
Singles competition 1. #42 Jason Tahir (DU) def. #112 Nathan Rakitt (GT) 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) 2. #50 Fred Saba (DU) def. Eduardo Segura (GT) 6-2, 6-0 3. Raphael Hemmeler (DU) def. Carlos Benito (GT) 6-2, 6-2 4. #88 Bruno Semenzato (DU) def. Cole Fiegel (GT) 3-6, 7-6 (7-3), 1-0 (10-2) 5. Josh Levine (DU) def. Colin Edwards (GT) 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 6. TJ Pura (DU) def. No player (GT), by forfeit
Doubles competition 1. #61 Fred Saba/Raphael Hemmeler (DU) def. #43 Eduardo Segura/Carlos Benito (GT) 8-3 2. Jason Tahir/Josh Levine (DU) def. #79 Nathan Rakitt/Cole Fiegel (GT) 8-6 3. Bruno Semenzato/Cale Hammond (DU) def. No player/No player (GT), by forfeit
Match Notes Georgia Tech 7-13, 1-9 ACC; National ranking #72 Duke 16-5, 8-1 ACC; National ranking #13 Order of finish: Doubles (1,2); Singles (2,3,1,4,5) T-3:10 A-318
