'Cuse Comes Up Short Against #4 Duke

Friday, April 13

5 PM

Syracuse University

Duke

4/13/2018 9:14:00 PM | Tennis

Box Score

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Facing their fourth top-20 opponent in as many matches, the Orange put up a battle against No. 4 Duke but ultimately fell short, 4-2, Friday night at Drumlins Tennis Club. 'Cuse returns to Drumlins for the final time of 2018 on Sunday when the team honors its two graduating seniors, Anna Shkudun and Nicole Mitchell, on Senior Day.

"I think we did a lot of positive things today," said head coach Younes Limam. "Our doubles pairs were very good today from one to three and they played with a lot of energy to set the tone of the match early on. In singles we battled and had a lot of chances. Credit to Duke, they hung in there and played very well toward the end."

The Orange came to play in doubles, streaking to a pair of 6-2 match victories at first (Gabriela Knutson and Miranda Ramirez) and third (Shkudun and Sofya Golubovskaya) doubles. With the doubles point in hand, 'Cuse entered the singles portion of the match with a 1-0 lead on the fourth-ranked team in the nation.

Ramirez carried her momentum from the doubles victory into singles play, battling her way to a two-set victory over Duke's Meible Chi. Up 5-1 in the second set, Ramirez gave up three straight sets to make the score 5-4 but was relentless in the final two games to take the match victory.

The rest of singles play did not go the way of the Orange as Duke recorded three straight, two-set victories at third, fourth and fifth singles to take a 3-2 lead in the match.

At first singles, Knutson came out dominant, cruising to a 6-0 victory in set one. However, No. 5 Samantha Harris rebounded in sets two and three, recording a 6-4 and 6-0 win in the respective matches, clinching the team match for the Blue Devils.

Down on court six, junior Dina Hegab was tied at a set apiece and hanging onto a 3-1 lead in the third set when the teams agreed to leave the match unfinished.

Singles competition
1. #5 Samantha Harris (DU) def. #4 Gabriela Knutson (SU) 0-6, 6-4, 6-0
2. Miranda Ramirez (SU) def. #78 Meible Chi (DU) 6-4, 6-4
3. #91 Kaitlyn McCarthy (DU) def. Sofya Golubovskaya (SU) 7-5, 7-5
4. #28 Kelly Chen (DU) def. Maria Tritou (SU) 6-4, 6-3
5. #111 Ellyse Hamlin (DU) def. Anna Shkudun (SU) 6-2, 6-4
6. Dina Hegab (SU) vs. Hannah Zhao (DU) 6-2, 1-6, 3-1, unfinished

Doubles competition
1. #13 Gabriela Knutson/Miranda Ramirez (SU) def. #8 Ellyse Hamlin/Kaitlyn McCarthy (DU) 6-2
2. Dina Hegab/Maria Tritou (SU) vs. #6 Kelly Chen/Samantha Harris (DU) 3-4, unfinished
3. Anna Shkudun/Sofya Golubovskaya (SU) def. Meible Chi/Hannah Zhao (DU) 6-2

Syracuse faces off with Notre Dame on Sunday for its final home match of the season. First serve is slated for 11 a.m. and the game will air on ACC Network Extra.

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