Grit, Guts, and a Clutch Clinch: Duke Women’s Tennis Rallies Past Kentucky in 4-2 Thriller
DURHAM, N.C. - It wasn’t the cleanest start, but Duke women’s tennis showed exactly why they’ve become a force to be reckoned with at home. The Blue Devils dropped the doubles point early and looked out of sync, but when the pressure mounted, they flipped the switch. Behind four gritty singles wins-including a clutch three-set clincher from senior Katie Codd-Duke stormed back to take down Kentucky, 4-2, and extend their home win streak to 14 straight.
This one had all the ingredients of a statement win: adversity, resilience, and a senior stepping up when it mattered most. Let’s break down how it all unfolded inside the Sheffield Indoor Tennis Center.
Doubles Disaster, Then a Singles Surge
The match didn’t exactly start the way Duke had hoped. On court three, Irina Balus and Ava Krug dropped the first two games before briefly cutting the deficit to 1-2. But Kentucky’s duo of Marina Fuduric and Ellie Myers slammed the door with four straight games, cruising to a 6-1 win.
Things went from bad to worse on court one, where Fuduric teamed up with Julia Zhu to blank Duke’s Liv Hovde and Claire An, 6-0. That clinched the doubles point for Kentucky and snapped a notable streak-Duke had won the doubles point in 15 straight home matches before Friday night.
Over on court two, Shavit Kimchi and Eleana Yu were leading 4-1, but their match was left unfinished once the point was secured by the Wildcats.
Kimchi Sparks the Comeback
With the Blue Devils trailing 0-1, the focus turned to singles-and that’s where Duke found its rhythm.
Kimchi, playing on court four, fell into an early 0-3 hole in the opening set. But the veteran from Israel dug in, clawing her way back to 4-4, then 5-5.
She broke serve for a 6-5 lead and held to take the set, 7-5. From there, she was in full control, dropping just one game in the second set to level the match at 1-1.
That set the tone for what would become a gritty, back-and-forth battle.
Balus Stays Unbeaten at No. 1
On the top court, No. 22-ranked Irina Balus delivered yet again. She never trailed against Zoe Hammond, even when things got tight.
Tied at 4-4 in the first set, Balus closed strong to take it 6-4. In the second, she pulled away after a key deuce point at 2-2, eventually sealing a 6-3 win.
Balus is now 3-0 this season at the No. 1 spot, and her win gave Duke its first lead of the night, 2-1.
Kentucky Evens It, But Duke Holds Its Nerve
Kentucky wasn’t done yet. On court five, Ava Krug-who had been perfect in dual matches to start her college career-suffered her first loss. Elena Molla played a clean, consistent match to take down the Duke sophomore, 6-3, 6-4, tying things up at 2-2.
That left three matches still in play-courts two, three, and six-all heading into decisive third sets.
Hovde Delivers a Key Point
On court two, No. 98 Liv Hovde showed some serious fight.
She trailed 2-4 in the first set before rattling off four straight games to win it 6-4. Zhu answered with her own four-game run in the second to steal it 7-5.
But in the third, Hovde came out firing. She jumped out to a 5-0 lead and never looked back, closing it out 6-2 to give Duke a 3-2 edge.
Codd Comes Through in the Clutch
With the match hanging in the balance, all eyes turned to court six. That’s where senior Katie Codd, playing her first big match of the season, stepped up in a major way.
After dropping the opening set 4-6 to Ellie Myers, Codd responded with a flawless second set, blanking her opponent 6-0. The third was a back-and-forth battle, with neither player able to pull away. At 4-4, Codd broke serve and then held to seal the win, 6-4-and the match for Duke.
It was the sixth time in her career that Codd has clinched a match for the Blue Devils, and it couldn’t have come at a more pivotal moment.
Yu’s Battle Left Unfinished
On court three, No. 87 Eleana Yu had taken the first set 6-1 against Asuncion Jadue. The second set went Jadue’s way in a tiebreak, 7-1, and the two were locked at 4-4 in the third when the match was clinched and left unfinished.
What It Means
This wasn’t Duke’s cleanest performance-especially in doubles-but it was a showcase of mental toughness and depth. Head coach Jamie Ashworth didn’t mince words post-match, calling the doubles play “one of the worst exhibitions” they’ve had in a while. But he was proud of the way his team responded.
“They [Kentucky] don’t fear anybody. They play the best of the best every week,” Ashworth said. “I thought we gave them some confidence, a false sense of confidence, and they started to roll and build on it.”
Credit to Duke for shutting that momentum down when it mattered most.
Ashworth also praised Codd’s composure in a pressure-packed moment: “Katie did a great job of competing. That’s the first big match she’s played this year. We’re trying to move people around in our lineup, and I felt like she deserves an opportunity.”
What’s Next
Duke stays home for its next matchup, hosting James Madison on Sunday, Feb. 1 at 3 p.m. With the Blue Devils sitting at 4-0, they’ll look to keep the momentum rolling and shore up their doubles play in the process.
Match Recap
#7 Duke 4, Kentucky 2
January 30, 2026 - Sheffield Indoor Tennis Center (Durham, N.C.)
Doubles
- Fuduric/Zhu (UK) def.
Hovde/An (DU), 6-0
- Kimchi/Yu (DU) vs.
Sager/Jadue (UK), 4-1 (unfinished)
- Hammond/Myers (UK) def.
Balus/Krug (DU), 6-1
Singles
- #22 Balus (DU) def.
Hammond (UK), 6-4, 6-3
- #98 Hovde (DU) def.
Zhu (UK), 6-4, 5-7, 6-2
- #87 Yu (DU) vs.
Jadue (UK), 6-1, 6-7 (1-7), 4-4 (unfinished)
- #93 Kimchi (DU) def.
Sager (UK), 7-5, 6-1
- Molla (UK) def.
Krug (DU), 6-3, 6-4
- Codd (DU) def.
Myers (UK), 4-6, 6-0, 6-4
Order of Finish: Doubles (3,1*) | Singles (4,1,5,2,6*)
Duke showed the kind of resolve that championship-caliber teams are built on. There’s work to do, sure-but if this group can clean up the early execution, they’ve got the firepower and the fight to go a long way this season.