It all came down to No. 1 singles. With the team score tied at 3-3, Duke freshman Henrique Cunha calmly disposed of the top-ranked singles player in the country, Southern California’s Steve Johnson, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) to propel the Blue Devils (6-5) to a crucial 4-3 victory over the third-ranked Trojans (13-2). Cunha’s gritty performance allowed him to overcome a 3-2 second-set deficit and finish off Johnson in front of a large crowd at Ambler Tennis Stadium, which included his own personal cheering section.
“[It was] the best player in the country versus the best freshman in the country,” head coach Ramsey Smith said. “[Cunha] just showed unbelievable heart out there, especially for a freshman.”
Throughout the final set, it seemed Cunha was in fact the top player in the nation and a reigning national champion. While Johnson was visibly frustrated by Cunha’s consistency and impressive shots, Duke’s top singles player never lost his composure and showed no outward emotion until a victorious gesture to the crowd after he won the match’s final point.
“I was trying not to think too much—just think[ing] about winning and the points I had won. I just believed in myself,” Cunha said.
Cunha’s gut-wrenching performance came at just the right time for the Blue Devils. Coming off a disappointing spring break trip which featured defeats against UCLA and Pepperdine, Duke’s ranking plummeted to No. 50 after being as high as 18th earlier this season. Despite playing solid tennis against high-quality opponents, the Blue Devils simply could not get in the win column during their three-game losing streak.
“I told the guys before the match, ‘Why not win this one, the toughest match of the stretch against the defending champions?’” Smith said. “It just felt like we were due for a win.”
Throughout the match, Duke seemed to embrace its coach’s message and was hungry for victory. After his 6-1, 6-2 manhandling of No. 84 Peter Lucassen, sophomore Torsten Wietoska even screamed to his teammates and crowd, “Come on! Let’s go!”
David Holland’s efficient 6-2, 6-3 victory at No. 5 singles gave the Blue Devils even more momentum, and put them one singles win away from team victory.
“Holland did an amazing job in the second set, [and] it gave us a lot of momentum. Positive energy is contagious,” Smith said. “We had a great crowd and a beautiful day and the rest of the team fed off that.”
While Duke’s singles players finished off the match, the Blue Devils’ 2-1 victory in doubles play gave them the decisive fourth point for victory. Notably, the third-ranked team of Cunha and sophomore Reid Carleton earned its ninth straight victory in an 8-6 clinching victory over the Trojans’ No. 1 team.
“Our doubles have been phenomenal starting with the No. 1 team. They’ve been so clutch for us and really set the tone {for singles],” Smith said.
With a marquee victory under their belt, the Blue Devils now seem prepared to be serious contenders in the ACC, and Duke kicks off conference play March 26 when it faces Boston College and Harvard in a doubleheader in Boston.
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