The men's and women's tennis teams might be half a country apart, but their results have been exactly the same.
Competing at the National Team Indoor Championships, both Blue Devil squads won their opening round matches to advance to the quarterfinals today. The No. 10 ranked men's team (3-1) downed No. 7 Texas, 5-2, in Seattle while the No. 2 women's team (5-1) knocked off No. 15 Pepperdine, 6-1, in Madison, Wis.
An upset by Doug Root led the way for the men's triumph. Duke swept the doubles point but then promptly dropped the first two singles matches to fall behind 2-1. However, a trio of come-from-behind victories, headed up by Root's 1-6, 7-6, 7-6 decision, turned the tide for the Blue Devils.
No. 5 Andres Pedroso and No. 6 Porter Jones each dropped the first set before recovering to claim the decisive points. Ramsey Smith added the final Duke point with a straight set romp over Gwenael Gueit.
For the junior Root, his victory over No. 22 Jack Brasington at No. 1 singles marked his third consecutive victory over a higher ranked opponent.
The women's tennis team advanced without the aid of comeback heroics. Seeded No. 3 in the tournament, last year's tournament runner-up made short work of Pepperdine.
Senior All-America Vanessa Webb spearheaded the Blue Devil attack at No. 1 singles, romping over Angela Lawrence 6-3, 6-0.
The next four singles matches followed in suit, with only Kristin Sanderson's 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 victory going beyond two sets. Paola Palencia provided the lone Pepperdine point, knocking off Kathy Sell in three sets, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 at No. 6 singles.
With the match decided during the singles slate only one doubles match was contested. Karen Goldstein and Webb knocked off Lawrence and Ipek Senoglu 8-5 to clinch a sixth Blue Devil point.
Both Duke team's will return to action today. The men's team will face either Fresno State or Georgia and the women's squad, aided by the withdrawal of California and its reigning NCAA doubles tandem of Amy Jensen and Amanda Augustus, will now play either California-substitute Miami or Vanderbilt.
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