DURHAM – Redshirt senior Garrett Johns clinched Sunday’s 4-3 win for No. 15 Duke men’s tennis over No. 11 Kentucky at Sheffield Indoor Tennis Center.
Johns’ victory over Joshua Lapadat was his second match-clinching win in as many contests after also clinching the match against Yale on Friday night. The Atlanta, Ga., native now holds a 5-1 record during the dual season.
Duke improved to 7-2 overall and 7-0 at home this season, while Kentucky dropped to 7-2 overall and 1-1 on the road. In addition, the Blue Devils earned their first victory over the Wildcats since 2020.
How It Happened
- Johns and Pedro Rodenas started doubles play with a 6-4 win over Eli Stephenson and Jaden Weekes on court two. Faris Khan and Connor Krug then tallied a thrilling 7-6 (5) tiebreak win over Taha Baadi and Matt Rankin on court three to clinch the doubles point for the Blue Devils. The match between No. 11 Michael Heller and Andrew Zhang against No. 44 Joshua Lapadat and JJ Mercer on the main court went unfinished with the Wildcats leading 6-5.
- Duke’s nationally ranked foe would not go away though, securing victories on court five and four, respectively, during singles action to pull in front 2-1.
- Zhang quickly knotted the score at 2-2 after he bested Weekes in straight sets 6-1, 6-4 on court three.
- The Wildcats then jumped back on top after Stephenson handed Alexander Visser his first career loss on court six. The Westport, Conn., native fell in a nailbiter 7-5 during the first set before dropping the second, 6-4.
- On the main court, No. 47 Rodenas defeated…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Duke University…