Georgia Sweeps Past No. 20 Duke in Men’s Tennis Showdown
ATHENS, Ga. - On a Friday night clash between two ranked programs, Georgia came out firing and never looked back, handing No. 20 Duke a 4-0 defeat at the Lindsey Hopkins Indoor Tennis Facility. The loss drops Duke to 4-4 on the season, while the Bulldogs improve to 3-1 with a statement win on their home court.
This one was all about momentum-and Georgia seized it early in doubles and never let go.
Doubles: Bulldogs Strike First
The tone was set right out of the gate in doubles, where Georgia’s top pair of Arda Azkara and Santiago Giamichelle took down Duke’s 36th-ranked duo of Pedro Rodenas and Cooper Williams, 6-4. It was a tight contest early, knotted at 4-4, but Azkara and Giamichelle stepped on the gas and closed it out with back-to-back games to steal the edge.
On court two, it was more of the same. Georgia’s Will Jansen and Gabriele Vulpitta edged out Dylan Long and Gerard Planelles Ripoll in a tightly contested 7-5 battle. Both sides held serve through much of the set, but the Bulldogs broke through late-literally-with a hold-break-hold run that sealed the doubles point and gave Georgia a 1-0 lead heading into singles.
Singles: Georgia Slams the Door
With the momentum already leaning red and black, Georgia wasted no time in singles play.
On court three, No. 28 Will Jansen delivered a steady, composed performance to take out Alexander Visser in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3.
Jansen jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first, and while Visser clawed back to make it 4-2, Jansen stayed in control and closed it out. The second set followed a similar script-Visser hung around, but Jansen was just too efficient when it mattered most.
Georgia kept rolling on court six, where No. 109 Gabriele Vulpitta outpaced Teddy Truwit, 6-2, 6-4.
Vulpitta came out hot, taking a 2-0 lead before Truwit chipped away to pull within one. But the Bulldog freshman responded with a strong finish, winning three straight to take the set.
In the second, Truwit showed some fight, leading at 1-0 and 3-2, but Vulpitta once again surged late, winning the final two games to push Georgia’s lead to 3-0.
The clincher came on court four. Derrick Chen, facing No.
78 Planelles Ripoll, came out swinging and took the first set with ease, 6-1. But the second set was a different story.
Chen found himself trailing 4-1 before flipping the script with four straight games to take a 5-4 lead. Ripoll forced a tiebreaker, and the two traded blows until Chen finally broke a 7-7 deadlock to win it 9-7 and seal the match for Georgia.
What’s Next
Duke won’t have much time to dwell on this one. The Blue Devils wrap up their weekend road swing with a tough test against No.
14 South Carolina on Sunday at noon. After a tough night in Athens, they’ll be looking to bounce back quickly and regain their early-season rhythm.
Match Results
Doubles (Georgia wins point):
1.
Azkara/Giamichelle (UGA) def. #36 Rodenas/Williams (DU), 6-4
- Jansen/Vulpitta (UGA) def.
Long/Planelles Ripoll (DU), 7-5
3.
Johnston/Chen (UGA) vs. Truwit/Visser (DU), 5-4 (unfinished)
Singles (Georgia wins courts 3, 6, 4):
3.
#28 Jansen (UGA) def. Visser (DU), 6-3, 6-3
- #109 Vulpitta (UGA) def.
Truwit (DU), 6-2, 6-4
4.
Chen (UGA) def. #78 Planelles Ripoll (DU), 6-1, 7-6 (9-7)
Unfinished Matches:
1.
#39 Azkara (UGA) vs. #47 Williams (DU), 6-4, 5-5
- #63 Giamichelle (UGA) vs.
#90 Rodenas (DU), 7-5, 2-6, 2-2
5.
Long (DU) vs. #83 Johnston (UGA), 6-3, 3-6, 2-1
Georgia came into this one looking to make a statement-and they did just that. From doubles dominance to clutch singles play, the Bulldogs showed why they’re a team to watch.
For Duke, it’s a reminder of how fine the margins are at this level, and how quickly matches can turn when a few key points go the other way. Sunday’s matchup in Columbia offers a chance to reset.