Duke’s loss to rival and ACC leader North Carolina is in the past, but the No. 7 Blue Devils may still be feeling its effects as Duke followed up that defeat with two more against conference opponents this weekend.
The Blue Devils (17-5, 5-3 in the ACC) hit the road Saturday to face No. 20 Georgia Tech, and Duke was upset 4-3 in Atlanta. The very next day, No. 9 Clemson took down the Blue Devils by the same score.
Against the Tigers (19-4, 7-2), who boast four players among the top 102 in the nation, Duke was able to surprise its host by winning the doubles point. Doubles have not always been a strength for the Blue Devils this season, but they were able to take the point against the Tar Heels in midweek, and did so again Sunday behind wins at Nos. 2 and 3.
Singles play, though, did not work out quite as well for Duke. Clemson’s Josipa Bek and Keri Wong won their matches at the top two singles slots, and straight-set wins at Nos. 4 and 5 for the Tigers capped off an unhappy Duke road trip.
The play of freshman Mary Clayton was one of the few bright spots for the Blue Devils. Clayton was part of a successful doubles team with fellow underclassman Monica Gorny, and she survived a tough first set to blank her opponent 6-0 in the second at No. 6 singles.
The day before the defeat to the Tigers, Duke suffered a heartbreaking loss to Georgia Tech in a third-set tiebreak. The Blue Devils won the doubles point yet again, but at No. 4 singles, Clayton went down 8-6 in the tiebreak to the Yellow Jackets’ Lynn Blau with the team score tied at three, giving Georgia Tech the match.
—from staff reports
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