University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
#20 Duke
Tennessee Defeats No. 20 Duke, 4-1
February 09, 2018 | Men's Tennis
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- The Tennessee men's tennis team earned its first top-25 victory in the Chris Woodruff coaching era, defeating No. 20 Duke on Friday at Goodfriend Tennis Center.
With the win, the Vols (8-2) also defeated a top-25 ranked opponent for the first time since they beat the Blue Devils (4-2) in the second round of the 2014 NCAA Championships.
UT picked up the doubles point with wins on Courts 1 and 2, which proved key in singles. The Vols and Blue Devils split the six first sets, and four of the matches went three sets. Freshman Nicaise Muamba led the way with a straight-set win on court 5, while sophomore Scott Jones and senior Luis Valero earned three-set victories to seal the Tennessee win.
In singles, Nick Stachowiak defeated freshman Adam Walton, 6-4, 6-3, on Court 3 to put Duke on the scoreboard and tie the match 1-1. Muamba answered back for the Vols with a 6-4, 6-4 defeat of Ryan Dickerson on Court 5.
Jones took down Robert Levine with a 6-4, 6-7 (1-7), 6-1 victory to put Tennessee ahead in the match 3-1, before Valero finished off Sean Scully 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 seconds later to punctuate the statement win.
"It was a group effort," Woodruff said after the match. "It starts with our strength coach, our staff. We're just trying to build a really good environment, so we'll enjoy this one and then get back to work."
"I think we're doing a great job and our coaching staff is doing a great job," Valero said. "Chris is a giving a good first for everyone and is really turning this program around."
For a senior like Valero, beating a top-25 team for the first time of his career at Tennessee comes as a reflection of the dedication shown by his teammates.
"They're all doing great," he said. "They're all great guys that want to work hard, and they sometimes have to push me."
UP NEXT: The Vols host South Carolina Upstate in a doubleheader Feb. 24 at Goodfriend Tennis Center at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Tennessee 4, #20 Duke 1
Singles
1. #18 Timo Stodder (UT) vs. #53 Nicolas Alvarez (Duke) 6-7 (7-1), 6-3, 3-5, unfinished
2. Preston Touliatos (UT) vs. Catalin Mateas (Duke) 6-1, 5-7, 1-5, unfinished
3. Nick Stachowiak (Duke) def. Adam Walton (UT) 6-4, 6-3
4. Luis Valero (UT) def. Sean Scully (Duke) 4-6, 6-2, 6-1
5. Nicaise Muamba (UT) def. Ryan Dickerson (Duke) 6-4, 6-4
6. Scott Jones (UT) def. Robert Levine (Duke) 6-4, 6-7 (1-7), 6-1
Doubles
1. Preston Touliatos/Luis Valero (UT) def. Sean Scully/Nick Stachowiak (Duke) 6-4
2. #47 Timo Stodder/Scott Jones (UT) def. Jason Lapidus/Ryan Dickerson (Duke) 7-5
3. Andrew Rogers/Nicaise Muamba (UT) vs. Catalin Mateas/Nicolas Alvarez (Duke) 6-6, unfinished
Order of Finish: Doubles (1,2); Singles (3,5,6,4)
Players Mentioned
