DURHAM, N.C. — Despite winning the doubles point, the #10 Pepperdine women's tennis team fell in a narrow 4-3 match to #11 Duke at the Sheffield Indoor Tennis Center on Friday evening.
In a battle of top-15 teams, the Waves (0-1) took the doubles point thanks to #14 Savannah Broadus and Vivian Yang upsetting the nation's 10th ranked team in a 7-6 (5) tiebreaker. However, the Blue Devils (2-0) flashed their deep singles lineup by winning four matches in the heart of the order. For Pepperdine, #13 Broadus and freshman Anastasiia Grechkina won straight-set matches, yet Duke clinched the win with a straight-set victory on court six.
Kicking off a memorable first collegiate match for Grechkina, Pepperdine struck first in doubles with Grechkina and Taylor Goetz's lopsided 6-1 win at the sixth position. The Waves went up a break early on Duke's team of Ava Krug and Eleana Yu before the Blue Devils held serve in the fourth game. From that point forward, the Waves won a break point in the fifth game, consolidated the break with Grechkina serving, then broke the Duke team in the final game for a 6-1 win.
After Duke countered with a 6-1 win of its own at the second position, all eyes turned to court one for a back-and-forth match between two of the nation's top-15 doubles teams.
Broadus and Yang broke #10 Irina Balus and Ellie Coleman immediately then consolidated the break in the second game. Although the Pepperdine duo maintained the lead in the early goings, Duke broke Pepperdine in the seventh game, then consolidated the break to tie the score at four games apiece. Both teams traded breaks over the next two games and both teams served the match out, bringing the match to a tiebreak.
In the breaker, Broadus and Yang took an early 3-0 lead before the Blue Devils responded by winning the next four points. A backhand from Broadus in the ad-side corner gave the Waves a 5-4 lead, then Yang helped Pepperdine hold serve and bring about the first match point. With Duke serving down 6-5, a Broadus backhand set up a winner at the net from Yang, who clinched the doubles point for Pepperdine with the 7-6 (5) win.
Unfortunately for Pepperdine, Duke turned the tide in singles play. The Blue Devils won by retirement on court two to tie the score, however, Grechkina blazed through her first collegiate singles match with a 6-3, 6-2 straight-set win over Ellie Coleman on court four.
Grechkina won two break points late in the first set to win 6-3, but the second set wasn't as straightforward for the Russian first-year. Coleman broke Grechkina in the third game, yet Grechkina broke back to put the match back on serve. The breakthrough moment for Grechkina in the sixth game, as she broke Coleman on deciding point to go up 4-2. After consolidating the break in her final service game, Grechkina won her first collegiate match by smacking a forehand down the line on the ad-side.
As Duke took back the lead with wins on courts five and three, #13 Broadus was battling with #25 Emma Jackson on court one. In Broadus' first set, the senior broke Jackson for a 5-2 lead before the Duke senior rattled off three straight games to put the match back on serve.
After Broadus broke Jackson in the 12th game to win the first set 7-5, the Pepperdine senior needed to claw back from being down a break in the second set. Trailing 3-1, Broadus broke Jackson in the sixth game to tie the score at three games apiece before both players traded breaks in the next two games. Broadus held serve in the ninth game, then broke Jackson for a 7-5, 6-4 win — her 114th career singles victory.
Yet Pepperdine's positive momentum was short-lived. Moments later, Duke junior Katie Codd won a pivotal deuce point en route to clinching the match on court six.
Pepperdine will search for its first win under interim head coach Tassilo Schmid against the #14 NC State Wolfpack on Sunday. First serve at J.W. Isenhour Tennis Center is scheduled for 9 a.m. PT/noon local time.
RESULTS
Singles
1. #13 Savannah Broadus (PEPP) def. #25 Emma Jackson (DUKE) 7-5, 6-4
2. #36 Irina Balus (DUKE) def. #90 Liam Oved (PEPP) 6-4, 3-0, retired
3. #30 Eleana Yu (DUKE) def. #61 Vivian Yang (PEPP) 6-1, 6-4
4. Anastasiia Grechkina (PEPP) def. Ellie Coleman (DUKE) 6-3, 6-2
5. #49 Shavit Kimchi (DUKE) def. #112 Alexia Harmon (PEP) 6-3, 6-2
6. Katie Codd (DUKE) def. Taylor Goetz (PEPP) 6-2, 6-3
Order of finish: 2, 4, 5, 3, 1, 6*
Doubles
1. #14 Savannah Broadus/Vivian Yang (PEPP) def. #10 Irina Balus/Ellie Coleman (DUKE) 7-6 (7-5)
2. Emma Jackson/Shavit Kimchi (DUKE) def. #101 Liam Oved/Alexia Harmon (PEPP) 6-1
3. Taylor Goetz/Anastasiia Grechkina (PEPP) def. Ava Krug/Eleana Yu (DUKE) 6-1
Order of finish: 3, 2, 1*
