Duke University Team Page

DURHAM, N.C. – The ninth-ranked Duke men’s tennis team will continue Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) play this weekend with a pair of matches, beginning with a trip to Clemson, S.C., to take on the 19th-ranked Tigers Friday, April 5 at 2:30 p.m. The Blue Devils will also face Georgia Tech in Atlanta, Ga., Sunday, April 7 at 12:00 p.m.

In their last match, the Blue Devils downed then-No. 18 Florida State, 6-1, Saturday at Ambler Tennis Stadium. After dropping the doubles point for the fourth time this season, Duke rebounded by winning six consecutive matches in singles. Senior Henrique Cunha continued his impressive final season in Durham, as he won his 13th consecutive singles match over Benjamin Lock, 6-1, 6-4, to remain perfect for the spring at 13-0. Junior Fred Saba won his fourth consecutive match over a ranked opponent, as he downed No. 121 Dominic Cotrone, 5-7, 6-3, 1-0 (11-9).

In his fifth season leading the Blue Devils, head coach Ramsey Smith sits at 99 career wins in his coaching tenure. Smith is seeking to become the fourth coach in program history with at least 100 career wins, joining John LeBar (184), Steve Strome (160) and Jay Lapidus (373). Smith would also become the first person in program history to win at least 100 matches in singles and doubles as a player for the Blue Devils, as well as a head coach.

The Tigers come into Friday’s match with a 14-3 overall record and a 3-1 mark in ACC play. In their most recent match, the Tigers bested Boston College, 7-0, Sunday, March 24 in Dedham, Mass. Yannick Maden is the squad’s lone ranked player in singles with a No. 26 listing, while Yannick, along with brother Dominique Maden are listed 17th in doubles. Friday will mark the 68th overall meeting between the two programs, with Duke leading the series, 39-28, including each of the past five matchups. The Blue Devils won last year’s meeting on March 30, 2012 in Durham, 7-0.

Duke will conclude their regular season road schedule with Sunday’s match at Georgia Tech at 12:00 p.m. The Yellow Jackets come into the weekend with an 8-10 overall record and an 1-4 ledger in the conference to sit in seventh place. Georgia Tech is led in the rankings by No. 79 Juan Spir, while the tandem of Spir and Vikram Hundal are ranked third in the latest ITA rankings. Sunday’s match will be the 57th in the two programs history, with the Blue Devils leading, 42-14. Duke has won each of the last ten matchups against Georgia Tech, including a 6-1 win last season in Durham on April 1.

Follow Duke men’s tennis on twitter (@Duke_MTEN) for live stats and updates throughout the weekend.