No. 2 Virginia defeated No. 49 Duke 4-1 Friday afternoon at the Boar’s Head Sports Club, using a strong doubles start and commanding singles performances to remain unbeaten at home and in conference play.
Virginia set the tone in doubles play with an efficient win on Court 2. Senior Mans Dalberg and sophomore Janjun Kim, ranked No. 37 nationally, defeated the Blue Devils’ (7-8, 2-3 ACC) freshman Dylan Long and senior Gerard Planelles Ripoll 6-2, controlling the match with aggressive net play and quick service holds.
The Cavaliers (13-2. 5-0 ACC) clinched the doubles point moments later on Court 3. Sophomore Keegan Rice and freshman Andres Santamarta Roig earned a 6-3 victory over Duke’s senior Teddy Truwit and sophomore Saahith Jayarman, consistently winning baseline exchanges and capitalizing on key break opportunities.
On Court 1, Virginia’s No. 9 ranked pair of junior Dylan Dietrich and sophomore Stiles Brockett held a narrow 6-5 lead against the Blue Devils’ No. 11-ranked team of junior Cooper Williams and senior Pedro Rodenas when play was halted after the doubles point was secured. Williams notably won the 2023 Australian Open junior doubles title alongside current ATP No. 27 Learner Tien.
Kim, ranked No. 84 in the nation, gave Virginia its first singles win of the afternoon at Line 4, defeating Long 6-2, 6-2. Kim began the match with an aggressive service game and consistently dictated points with his forehand, often using serve plus on attacks before approaching the net. His pressure repeatedly forced Long’s backhand to get jammed, and at one point Long remarked between points that Kim was “playing perfect tennis.” Kim maintained control throughout the match, finishing the first set quickly and closing out the second 6-2 to give the Cavaliers a 2-0 lead.
Duke earned its lone point of the afternoon on Court 6, where Brockett faced Truwit. Truwit raced through the first set 6-0, capitalizing on several uncharacteristic errors from Brockett during long baseline rallies. Brockett improved in the second set, finding his forehand rhythm and building a 3-1 lead as he extended rallies and pressured Truwit. The Blue Devils senior adjusted, however, shifting to a more defensive style and forcing Brockett to play extra balls. With the score tied late, Truwit broke serve at 4-5 and closed the match 6-0, 6-4 to score Duke’s first point.
On Court 1, Dietrich, the nation’s No. 1 ranked singles player, faced a challenge from the Blue Devils’ Rodenas, who is ranked No. 103. Dietrich took the opening set comfortably with a 6-2 victory, but faced resistance in the second. Rodenas held serve repeatedly, leveling the set at 6-6 after Dietrich briefly trailed 2-3 earlier in the set. In the tiebreak, Dietrich regained control, striking confidently from the baseline and winning key points with aggressive returns. He closed out the breaker 7-2 to secure a 6-2, 7-6(2) victory and extend Virginia’s lead to 3-1.
Dahlberg delivered the clinching point on Court 5 against Duke sophomore Saahith Jayaraman. Dahlberg dominated the opening set 6-1 with powerful serving and early point construction, but Jayaraman responded in the second, building a 3-0 lead as Dahlberg briefly struggled with consistency. The Virginia senior quickly regrouped, winning five of the next six games to reclaim control. After breaking serve to go ahead 5-3, Dahlberg closed out the match 6-1, 6-4 to secure the Cavaliers’ 4-1 victory.
Two additional singles matches were left unfinished.
On Court 2, No. 14 Rice was locked in a physical battle with Williams, ranked No. 62. Rice took the first 6-2 after several extended baseline exchanges, often forcing Williams into hitting balls past the baseline and out. Williams responded in the second set by lengthening rallies and drawing mistakes from Rice, leading 4-3 when play was stopped.
On Court 3, freshman Andres Santamarta Roig, ranked No. 28 nationally, split the first two sets with the Blue Devils’ Ripoll. Santamarta claimed the opener 6-2 but fell behind in the second as Planelles Ripoll built a 5-2 lead before taking the set 6-3. The Duke player held a 2-0 advantage in the third when the match was stopped.
With the win, Virginia improved to 5-0 in ACC play and continued its strong start to conference competition as it pushes towards the postseason. Virginia will look to carry that momentum into Sunday’s matchup against No. 65 North Carolina at home. The Tar Heels (9-6, 2-3 ACC) boast three ranked singles players and two ranked doubles pairings, but are coming off a pair of road losses at No. 36 SMU and Virginia Tech.
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