Michigan
Duke
U-M Blanks No. 25 Duke to Wrap Perfect Weekend
2/7/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Feb. 7, 2016
» The Wolverines claimed the first set in each of the six singles matches.
» Alex Knight secured the team victory with a 6-4, 6-2 win at No. 2 singles.
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Varsity Tennis Center)
Score: Michigan 7, #25 Duke 0
Records: U-M (5-1), Duke (2-5)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Feb. 13 -- at Notre Dame (South Bend, Ind.), 4 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan men's tennis team posted a dominating 7-0 victory against 25th-ranked Duke University at the Varsity Tennis Center on Sunday (Feb. 7), earning the doubles point and victories in all six singles matches. The Wolverines have won all five matches this season when they claim the doubles point.
Michigan won the doubles point behind victories at the No. 3 and No. 1 spots. Juniors Jathan Malik and Tyler Gardiner raced out to a 5-0 lead and posted a 6-2 victory over Catalin Mateas and TJ Pura at the third spot. U-M's duo of sophomores Alex Knight and Runhao Hua won a hard-fought 6-4 match over Nicolas Alvarez and Vincent Lin to secure the team point. The match at second doubles was abandoned with Duke leading 6-5.
Holding a 1-0 lead heading into singles, the Wolverines won the four straight-set matches to secure the team victory. Junior Kevin Wong and Malik posted victories for Michigan in the first matches completed, winning at No. 6 and No. 1, respectively. Knight claimed a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Duke's Catalin Mateas at No. 2 to claim the win. Hua increased U-M's lead to 5-0 with a 6-3, 6-4 victory at No. 4. After dropping the second set in their matches, junior/sophomore Davis Crocker and sophomore Carter Lin rallied to post three-set victories to complete the shutout.
Michigan returns to action next Saturday (Feb. 13) at Notre Dame. The match between the Wolverines and Irish at the Eck Tennis Pavilion will start at 6 p.m. from South Bend, Indiana.
Following are match-by-match results
Singles
No. 1 -- Jathan Malik (UM) d. Nicolas Alvarez (DU), 6-2, 6-4
No. 2 -- Alex Knight (U-M) d. Catalin Mateas (DU), 6-4, 6-2
No. 3 -- Davis Crocker (U-M) d. Vincent Lin (DU), 6-3, 2-6, 7-6(4)
No. 4 -- Runhao Hua (U-M) d. TJ Pura (DU), 6-3, 6-4
No. 5 -- Carter Lin (U-M) d. Josh Levine (DU), 6-4, 4-6, 6-4
No. 6 -- Kevin Wong (U-M) d. Ryan Dickerson (DU), 6-2, 6-2
Doubles
No. 1 -- Alex Knight/Runhao Hua (U-M) d. Alvarez/Lin (DU), 6-4
No. 2 -- Dickerson/Levine (DU) vs. Gabe Tishman/Kevin Wong (U-M), 6-5 abandoned
No. 3 -- Jathan Malik/Tyler Gardiner (U-M) d. Mateas/Pura (DU), 6-2
Order of Completion: Doubles 3-1, Singles 6-1-2-4-5-3
Communications Contact: Sarah VanMetre
