April 10, 2010
Durham, N.C. – Dylan Arnould outlasted Miguel Muguruza in a three-set thriller to clinch the match at No. 3 singles, and 20th-ranked Duke held off 24th-ranked Georgia Tech, 4-3, in an Atlantic Coast Conference men’s tennis match Saturday at the Ambler Tennis Stadium.
The loss snapped an eight-match winning streak for Tech (15-4, 6-2 ACC), while Duke improved to 13-6, 6-1 in conference play. The Blue Devils supplanted the Jackets in second place in the ACC standings.
With the match tied 3-3, Muguruza won the first set 7-6, but Arnould, the nation’s 87th-ranked player, rallied to capture the next two sets, 7-6, 6-2, and win the match for Duke.
“We got on top early in doubles and they got on top of us early in singles,” said head coach Kenny Thorne. “Once both teams settled in, it was a battle. I give Duke credit for closing us out because we didn’t give in. Our only focus now is on UNC for tomorrow.”
The Yellow Jackets struck first by taking the doubles point in its sixth straight match. Guillermo Gomez and Dean O’Brien defeated the nation’s 63rd-ranked team of Alain Michel and Torsten Wietoska, 8-5, and Eliot Potvin and Ryan Smith downed No. 80 Arnould and David Holland by the same score.
But the Jackets put themselves in a 2-1 hole when 62nd ranked Kevin King lost his first match of the spring in straight sets, 6-1, 6-1, to Reid Carleton at No. 2 singles, and Gomez, the nation’s No. 4 player, fell to No. 11 Henrique Cunha, 6-4, 6-4, at No. 1
Freshman Magin Ortiga tied the match for Tech at 2-2 with a 6-3, 6-4 defeat of David Holland at No. 5. Duke recaptured the lead when Luke Marchese outlasted Tech freshman Juan Spir at No. 6 by a 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 score.
It was left to Potvin and Muguruza to win it for Tech, and both matches went the distance. Potvin dropped his first set to Wietoska, 6-3, then rallied to take the next two, 7-5, 7-6, and tie the match at 3-3.
The Yellow Jackets move on to visit 19th-ranked North Carolina at 1 p.m. Sunday in Chapel Hill.
Tennis Match Results
Georgia Tech vs Duke
April 10, 2010 at Durham, N.C.
#20 Duke 4, #24 Georgia Tech 3
Doubles competition
1. #3 Reid Carleton/Henrique Cunha (DU) def. Kevin King/Juan Spir (GT) 9-8 (7-4)
2. Eliot Potvin/Ryan Smith (GT) def. #80 Dylan Arnould/David Holland (DU) 8-5
3. Guillermo Gomez/Dean O’Brien (GT) def. #63 Alain Michel/Torsten Wietoska (DU) 8-5
Singles competition
1. #11 Henrique Cunha (DU) def. #4 Guillermo Gomez (GT) 6-2, 6-3
2. Reid Carleton (DU) def. #62 Kevin King (GT) 6-1, 6-1
3. Eliot Potvin (GT) def. Torsten Wietoska (DU) 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7-4)
4. #87 Dylan Arnould (DU) def. Miguel Muguruza (GT) 6-7, 7-6 (7-5), 6-2
5. Magin Ortiga (GT) def. David Holland (DU) 6-3, 6-4
6. Luke Marchese (DU) def. Juan Spir (GT) 6-4, 5-7, 6-3
Match Notes: Georgia Tech 15-4, 6-2 ACC; National ranking #24
Duke 13-6, 6-1 ACC; National ranking #20
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (2,1,5,6,3,4)
