Jan. 22, 2009

Ramsey Smith Leads Duke To Shutout Win In Head Coaching Debut
First year head coach Ramsey Smith could not have asked for a better showing in his head coaching debut as the Duke men's tennis team won every match in the 2009 season opener en route to a 7-0 victory over Elon.

The Blue Devils got off to a good start by winning all three doubles matches. At the No. 3 position, a pair of freshmen David Holland and Torsten Wietoska cruised to an 8-3 win to improve to 3-0 on the season. Reid Carleton and Dylan Arnould clinched the doubles point with an 8-6 victory and are now 4-1 for the year.

All six singles matches were won in straight sets by Duke. Arnould, a junior from Northampton, Mass., clinched the first match of the year for the Blue Devils with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Chase Helpingstine in the No. 3 spot. Carleton, ranked No. 25 in singles, earned his team-leading 13th win of the season, defeating Damon Gooch 6-4, 6-3. Dimitrov improved to 11-6 with his team-high sixth win over a ranked opponent. He downed No. 120 Oscar Podlewski 7-5, 7-5.

Taboada Clinches Season-Opening Win for No. 17 Men's Tennis

Coral Gables, Fla. – After dropping the doubles point, the No. 17 University of Miami men’s tennis team bounced back to claim the 4-3 season-opening win over visiting Florida Atlantic at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center on a cold Thursday evening.

Miami sophomore Keith Crowley used a dominating 6-3, 6-1 win at the No. 5 position to even the score at 1-all. The Hurricanes would win three-straight singles matches – including straight-sets victories by No. 96 Carl Sundberg at No. 4 and David Simon at No. 2 – to open the 3-1 lead.

However a talented Florida Atlantic squad did not fold. Owl freshman Santiago Nieto – younger brother of UM junior Hector Nieto – claimed the 6-4, 0-6, 6-2 win at No. 6 to bring FAU within one point, trailing 3-2.