Four Blue Devils Battle on Opening Day of Gamecock Ranked +1

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Fall action officially got underway for four Blue Devils on Friday with the opening day of action at the Gamecock Ranked +1.
 
In the B bracket, graduate student Andrew Zhang met Sean Daryabeigi of South Carolina to start the day, but was bested 6-3, 7-6 (2). He rebounded in his second match though, defeating Arizona’s Gustaf Strom. After taking the first set, 6-1, Zhang dropped the second frame, 6-3. He battled back in the third set, to blank Strom, 6-0, to secure the victory.
 
Junior Connor Krug joined Zhang in the B bracket facing North Carolina’s Anuj Watane in his opening round. The Lakewood Ranch, Fla., native secured a 6-4 victory in the first frame, but dropped the next two 7-5, 6-2. NC State’s Luca Staeheli then bested Connor Krug 6-4, 7-6 (4) to conclude his first day of competition.
 
Senior Andrew Dale and junior Jake Krug faced tough competition in the A bracket as both battled seeded opponents in third-seeded Ronald Hohmann of Michigan State and Casey Hoole of South Carolina, respectively, in their opening matches. Dale dropped 6-2, 6-2 decisions to Hohmann before Jake Krug fell to Hoole 6-1, 6-2. Both Blue Devils were back in action later in the afternoon for their second matches, but Dale was edged by Columbia’s Max Westphal and Jake Krug by Wake Forest’s Holden Koons.
 
Duke is back in action Saturday with two rounds of doubles action beginning at 9 a.m. before another round of singles at 1 p.m.
 
Dale and Zhang will face off against Robin Catry and Braden Shick in their opening match of doubles play, while Connor Krug and Jake Krug will team up to battle Inaki Cabrera and Strom of Arizona in their first doubles match.
 
Singles
A Bracket
Round One
Ronald Hohmann (Michigan State) def. Andrew Dale (Duke) 6-2, 6-2
Casey Hoole (South Carolina) def. Jake Krug (Duke) 6-1, 6-2
 
Round Two
Max Westphal (Columbia) def. Andrew Dale (Duke) 6-3, 2-6, 6-2
Holden Koons (Wake Forest) def. Jake Krug (Duke) 6-1, 6-1
 
B Bracket
Round One
Sean Daryabeigi (South Carolina) def. Andrew Zhang (Duke) 6-3, 7-6(2)
Anuj Watane (North Carolina) def. Connor Krug (Duke) 4-6, 7-5, 6-2
 
Round Two
Andrew Zhang (Duke) def. Gustaf Strom (Arizona) 6-1, 3-6, 6-0
Luca Staeheli (NC State) def. Connor Krug (Duke) 6-4, 7-6(4)
 
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