{"id":218462,"date":"2026-04-04T08:31:08","date_gmt":"2026-04-04T08:31:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/218462\/"},"modified":"2026-04-04T08:31:08","modified_gmt":"2026-04-04T08:31:08","slug":"blue-devils-storm-back-top-florida-state-4-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/218462\/","title":{"rendered":"Blue Devils Storm Back, Top Florida State 4-3"},"content":{"rendered":"

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. \u2013\u00a0For nearly four hours on Friday evening, the Duke and Florida State men’s tennis teams battled tooth and nail as the Blue Devils came back from a 3-1 deficit to claim a 4-3 victory.\u00a0
\n\u00a0
\nThe No. 44 Blue Devils dropped the doubles point and trailed by at least three games in four singles first sets before clawing back with a trio of three-set tiebreaker victories. With Duke down 3-1,\u00a0Gerard Planelles Ripoll<\/a>,\u00a0Pedro Rodenas<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Alexander Visser<\/a>\u00a0each won to bring the Blue Devils all the way back. Planelles Ripoll and Rodenas each trailed by at least two games in the third sets before forcing tiebreakers.
\n\u00a0
\nWith the victory, Duke improves to 10-11 overall and 5-6 in ACC play.\u00a0<\/p>\n

HOW IT HAPPENED
\n \n<\/p>\n


\n\tNo. 50 Florida State quickly took the doubles point with wins on courts three and two. In the third slot, Luis Felipe Miguel and Gabor Hornung earned the first doubles decision with a 6-2\u00a0victory against\u00a0Dylan Long<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Alexander Visser<\/a>.\u00a0Florida State’s pair led 3-0 and 4-1 before holding off the Blue Devils for the set.\u00a0
\n\tThe Seminoles picked up the doubles point on court two, where Mohammad Alkotop and Justin Lyons topped\u00a0Cooper Williams<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Teddy Truwit<\/a>, 6-3. After a 1-1 tie, the FSU pair went on a three-game run to seize control with a 4-1 advantage before closing out for the victory.\u00a0
\n\tOn court six, Florida State’s Lyons quickly made it 2-0 as he dispatched\u00a0Saahith Jayaraman<\/a>, 6-1, 6-3. Jayaraman regrouped in the second set and was even at 1-1, 2-2 and 3-3 before Lyons ran off the final three for the match.\u00a0
\n\tDuke cut the deficit in half on court two, where No. 47 Williams topped No. 120 Corey Craig, 6-3, 6-2. After ties at 1-1, 2-2 and 3-3 in the opening set, Williams took the final three games. In the second set, Williams broke a 1-1 tie and took a 3-1 advantage. Craig made it 3-2, but Williams again took the last three games to secure the match. Williams improved to 11-4 in dual action and 7-0 in ACC competition.\u00a0
\n\tThe Seminoles regained the two-point cushion at 3-1 on court five with Azariah Rusher squeaking past Long, 6-3, 7-6 (3). Long trailed 4-1 in the opening set before cutting the deficit to 4-3. Rusher answered with the final two games to send it to the second set. With Long leading 4-3 in the second, Rusher claimed the next two to go up 5-4. Long had the answer and won the next two for a 6-5 lead. Rusher again replied and set the match to the tiebreaker, where he tallied the win.\u00a0
\n\tThe Blue Devils tacked on another point to trail 3-2 overall in the third slot as\u00a0Gerard Planelles Ripoll<\/a>\u00a0claimed a marathon match against No. 93 Erik Schiessl, 2-6, 6-1, 7-6 (5). After trailing 4-0 and 5-1 in the first set, Planelles Ripoll bounced back and breezed through the second. Planelles Ripoll kept the momentum going in the third set and took a 2-0 lead, only to drop the next five and trail 5-2. He then won four straight to take a 6-5 advantage. Schiessl regrouped and forced a tiebreaker, which he led 4-2. From there, Planelles Ripoll claimed five of the final six points the secure the victory. Planelles Ripoll upped his overall record to 8-7 and his league ledger to 5-3.\u00a0
\n\tDuke tied the match at 3-3 from court one as No. 50 Pedro Rodenas<\/a> slipped past No. 96 Miguel, 7-6 (0), 2-6, 7-6 (4). Rodenas trailed 3-1 in the opening set before going up 4-3. Miguel then won the next two for a 5-4 lead. The two were even at 5-5 and 6-6 and headed to a tiebreaker, which\u00a0Rodenas prevailed in by blanking Miguel. Miguel flew through the second set and led 5-0 in the third before Rodenas stormed back and forced a tiebreaker. Rodenas took a 3-1 lead in the tiebreaker before Miguel evened it at 3-3. With the tiebreaker knotted at 4-4, Rodenas tore through the last three points to secure the win. Rodenas improved to 13-3 in dual competition and 7-3 in ACC matches.\u00a0\u00a0
\n\tThe overall decision came to a tiebreaker in a third set on court four with\u00a0Visser downing Alkotop, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (4). Visser trailed 4-1 in the opening set before ripping off the last five games. In the second set, Visser led 3-1 but Alkotop flew back with the last five games to force a deciding set. Visser trailed 2-0 and rallied to even the deciding set at 2-2. From there, neither side led by more than a game in heading to the tiebreaker. Visser hopped ahead 4-0 in the tiebreaker and Alkotop never got closer than two points to give Duke the victory. Visser upped his dual match singles record to 5-7 while securing his first ACC singles triumph of the campaign.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

UP NEXT<\/p>\n


\n\tDuke wraps up its road weekend at Miami with a 3 p.m. Sunday first serve.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

\u00a0
\nRESULTS
\nDoubles (3,2)
\n1. Pedro Rodenas<\/a>\/Gerard Planelles Ripoll<\/a> (DU) vs. #55 Jan Sebesta\/Erik Schiessl (FSU) 4-4, unfinished
\n2.\u00a0Mohammad Alkotop\/Justin Lyons\u00a0(FSU) def. Cooper Williams<\/a>\/Teddy Truwit<\/a> (DU) 6-3
\n3.\u00a0Luis Felipe Miguel\/Gabor Hornung\u00a0(FSU) def. Dylan Long<\/a>\/Alexander Visser<\/a> (DU) 6-2<\/p>\n

Singles (6,2,5,3,1,4)

\n1. #50 Pedro Rodenas<\/a> (DU) def. #96\u00a0Luis Felipe Miguel\u00a0(FSU) 7-6 (7-0), 2-6, 7-6 (7-4)

\n2. #47 Cooper Williams<\/a> (DU) def. #120 Corey Craig (FSU) 6-3, 6-2

\n3. Gerard Planelles Ripoll<\/a> (DU) def. #93 Erik Schiessl (FSU) 2-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7-5)

\n4. Alexander Visser<\/a> (DU) def.\u00a0Mohammad Alkotop\u00a0(FSU) 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7-4)

\n5. Azariah Rusher (FSU) def. Dylan Long<\/a> (DU) 6-3, 7-6 (7-3)

\n6. Justin Lyons (FSU) def. Saahith Jayaraman<\/a> (DU) 6-1, 6-3<\/p>\n

To stay up to date with Blue Devils men’s tennis, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching “DukeMTEN”. \u00a0<\/p>\n

#GoDuke

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