North Carolina State University Athletics
NC State
No. 6 Duke
No. 37 State Narrowly Falls to No. 6 Duke
3/20/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
DURHAM, N.C.- The No. 37 NC State men's tennis team dropped a close match to No. 6 Duke, 4-3 on Friday afternoon. The Wolfpack piled on the pressure, forcing two matches to three sets and three matches to second-set tiebreakers.
Match Recap:
The Pack got off to a strong start in doubles play as Robbie Mudge and Ian Dempster stayed level with the No. 11 duo of Nicolas Alvarez and Raphael Hemmeler, while Austin Powell and Beck Bond and Nick Horton and Simon Norenius held early leads at No. 2 and No. 3 doubles, respectively.
Duke would pull away on court three to win the first doubles match, but State would answer on court one as No. 17 Mudge and Dempster defeated No. 11 Alvarez and Hemmeler to draw level. The win is the duo's second win over a top-15 opponent this season.
On court three, Powell and Bond fell just short as Duke clinched the doubles point in a tiebreaker.
In singles, the Pack stayed with the No. 6 Blue Devils early in the first sets, as Mudge and Norenius won both of their opening sets. However, Duke's bottom half of the lineup rallied to earn first-set wins on courts 4-6.
Josh Levine would make it 2-0 for the Blue Devils, after a straight-set victory on court six.
Moments later, Mudge would kick start the Pack's comeback attempt and earn a point for the Pack. The senior won his second match in a row over a ranked opponent, taking down No. 34 Jason Tahir 6-4, 6-4. It is his third win over a ranked opponent, and the highest ranked player he has beaten this season.
Along with Mudge's victory, both Bond and Nick Horton would overcome second set deficits to force tiebreakers in each of their matches. Bond would win to extend his match to a third set, while Horton would fall to give Duke a 3-1 advantage.
The Pack's comeback attempt would come just short as Hemmeler defeated Powell in three sets. After falling behind a set, Powell would stage a strong comeback attempt.The senior won the second set and stayed close for much of third, but ultimately fell in the third as Duke picked up the clinching point.
Despite the overall result, Norenius and Bond continued to fight and picked up wins in the third and fourth singles spots, respectively. Norenius won in straight sets, while Bond won a shortened third set.
The Pack's middle of the lineup has been strong during the ACC schedule. Both have picked up wins over UNC and Duke, while Bond also defeated his opponent from Louisville.
Up Next:
NC State will return home for a 1 p.m. Sunday match against No. 16 Virginia Tech. The Hokies are the fifth opponent in a row with a national ranking in the top-30.
Tennis Match Results
North Carolina State vs Duke
March 20, 2015 at Durham, N.C.
(Ambler Tennis Stadium)
#6 Duke 4, #37 North Carolina State 3
Singles competition
1. Robbie Mudge (NCSU) def. #34 Jason Tahir (DU) 6-4, 6-4
2. Raphael Hemmeler (DU) def. #72 Austin Powell (NCSU) 6-1, 4-6, 6-3
3. Simon Norenius (NCSU) def. Bruno Semenzato (DU) 6-4, 7-6 (7-3)
4. Beck Bond (NCSU) def. Chris Mengel (DU) 3-6, 7-6 (7-3), 1-0 (10-5)
5. TJ Pura (DU) def. Nick Horton (NCSU) 6-3, 7-6 (7-3)
6. Josh Levine (DU) def. Ian Dempster (NCSU) 6-3, 6-3
Doubles competition
1. #17 Robbie Mudge/Ian Dempster (NCSU) def. #11 Raphael Hemmeler/Nicolas Alvarez (DU) 8-6
2. Jason Tahir/Josh Levine (DU) def. Austin Powell/Beck Bond (NCSU) 8-7 (7-5)
3. Bruno Semenzato/Chris Mengel (DU) def. Simon Norenius/Nick Horton (NCSU) 8-5
Match Notes:
North Carolina State 10-7, 0-4 ACC; National ranking #37
Duke 15-2, 2-1 ACC; National ranking #6
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (6,1,5,2,4,3)
T-2:54 A-134
Players Mentioned
