Duke Men’s Tennis Falls to South Carolina, 4-1: Visser Snaps Skid with Gritty Win
In a high-level non-conference clash between two top-25 programs, No. 20 Duke came up short on the road Sunday afternoon, falling 4-1 to No.
14 South Carolina at the Carolina Indoor Tennis Center. While the Blue Devils couldn’t quite match the Gamecocks’ depth across the lineup, Alexander Visser provided a bright spot, notching a straight-set win on court four to break a personal five-match losing streak.
The loss drops Duke to 4-5 on the season, while South Carolina improves to 7-1, continuing a strong early campaign.
Doubles: A Tight Battle Turns South Carolina’s Way
Duke started the day with some early momentum in doubles, thanks to Dylan Long and Gerard Planelles Ripoll. The Blue Devil duo struck first on court two, taking down Sean Daryabeigi and Charlie Swaine, 6-4. It was a back-and-forth affair until Long and Planelles Ripoll broke a 4-4 deadlock with a clutch break and hold to seal the opening decision.
But South Carolina quickly answered. On court one, Lucas Da Silva and Paul Barbier Gazeu rallied from a 3-1 deficit to beat Duke’s top-ranked pair of Pedro Rodenas and Cooper Williams, 6-4. The Gamecocks closed strong, winning five of the final six games to even the doubles tally.
The doubles point came down to court three, where Atakan Karahan and Cole Henceroth edged Teddy Truwit and Visser, 6-4. After a 1-1 start, the Gamecocks grabbed control with a 3-1 lead and never looked back, locking up the early 1-0 advantage.
Singles: South Carolina’s Depth Shines, Visser Fights Back
South Carolina wasted no time building on its lead in singles. On court six, Charlie Swaine overpowered Truwit, 6-2, 6-1, using a five-game run in the second set to cruise to the finish line and give the Gamecocks a 2-0 edge.
Next up, it was Da Silva-ranked No. 23 nationally-who delivered on court one. He jumped out to a 4-0 lead against Williams in the opening set and never let the Duke freshman settle in. Williams made a push in the second, trimming the gap to 4-3, but Da Silva slammed the door with a hold and break to win 6-2, 6-3 and extend South Carolina’s lead to 3-0.
Duke finally got on the board thanks to Visser, who turned in a gutsy performance on court four. After taking the first set 6-2, Visser found himself in trouble in the second, trailing 4-2 against Karahan.
But the Duke junior flipped the script, reeling off four straight games to claim the 6-4 set and the match. It was a much-needed win for Visser, who had been searching for rhythm after a string of tough results.
Unfortunately for the Blue Devils, that would be their only point of the afternoon.
On court three, Barbier Gazeu-ranked No. 87-sealed the match for the Gamecocks with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Planelles Ripoll. The first set saw both players trade punches until Barbier Gazeu pulled away late. In the second, Planelles Ripoll briefly took a 4-3 lead, but Barbier Gazeu responded with a break and a hold to close it out, handing South Carolina its fourth and final point.
Two matches went unfinished, including Rodenas’ battle on court two, where he led 7-6 (7-3), 3-3 against Daryabeigi, and Long’s three-setter on court five, which was still in progress at 2-6, 6-3, 2-3.
What’s Next
Duke now gets a two-week break to regroup before opening ACC play on Friday, February 27 against California. That match is set to take place at Ambler Tennis Stadium, with outdoor conditions permitting.
While the loss stings, there were silver linings-Visser’s bounce-back win chief among them-and this young Duke team will have time to recalibrate before diving into conference action. With the ACC slate looming, the Blue Devils have a chance to reset and build some momentum heading into the heart of the season.