Michigan
Duke
Michigan Drops Tight Match at No. 14 Duke
2/16/2025 3:43:00 PM | Women's Tennis
Site: Durham, N.C. (Sheffield Indoor Tennis Center)
Score: #14 Duke 4, #6 Michigan 3
Records: U-M (6-3), Duke (6-2)
Next U-M Event: Friday, Feb. 21 -- vs. Oklahoma State (Varsity Tennis Center), 5 p.m.
DURHAM, N.C. -- The No. 6-ranked University of Michigan women's tennis team tied the team match at 3-3 and forced a third set at the remaining singles position, but No. 14-ranked Duke came through with a third-set victory to secure a 4-3 win on Sunday afternoon (Feb. 16) at the Sheffield Tennis Center.
Duke secured the doubles point with a 6-4 win at No. 2 after the teams split a pair of 6-1 matches at No. 1 and No. 3.
The teams split first sets in singles play, with Michigan taking opening frames at No. 1, No. 2, and No. 5.
Julia Fliegner continued her impressive start to the season at the top of the lineup, tying the team match with a 7-5, 6-0 victory over No. 11-ranked Irina Balus. Fliegner won the final eight games of the match, improving her dual-match record to 7-0.
Duke regained the lead at 2-1 with a straight-set victory at No. 3.
Piper Charney responded for the Wolverines with a 6-4, 7-6 (2) win at No. 2 to knot the match at 2-2. She capitalized on a late break in the first set, going up 5-4 and serving it out in the next game. After securing an early break in the second set, she relinquished it midway through but held serve to force a tiebreaker. Charney jumped out to a 3-1 lead and never looked back, winning the final three points for a 7-2 tiebreak win and Michigan's second point.
Duke pulled ahead 3-2 with a three-set win at No. 5. Emily Sartz-Lunde took a 2-0 lead in the third set but dropped five straight games, falling into a 5-2 deficit. She battled back to get the set back on serve at 5-4 but was unable to hold, allowing Duke to reclaim the lead.
The Wolverines evened the score once again as Jessica Bernales fought for a three-set win at No. 6. After dropping the first set 7-5, she surged ahead early in the next two sets to clinch the match. Bernales converted on her fourth match point, using a drop shot followed by a lob to seal the win.
With the match tied 3-3, attention turned to the deciding contest at No. 4 between Reese Miller and Duke's Ellie Coleman. Coleman broke Miller late in the first set and served it out for a 7-5 win. Miller trailed 4-2 in the second set but chipped away, breaking at love at 5-6 to force a tiebreaker. She controlled the breaker from the start, winning 7-2 to push the match to a deciding third set.
As the third set at No. 4 began, the match at No. 6 had just concluded. Miller was broken at 3-1 but responded immediately with a break of her own. Coleman, however, rattled off three straight games to clinch the match for Duke.
Michigan returns home next week, hosting Oklahoma State on Friday (Feb. 21) at the Varsity Tennis Center at 5 p.m.
Following are match-by-match results
Singles
No. 1 -- No. 4 Julia Fliegner (U-M) d. No. 11 Irina Balus (Duke), 7-5, 6-0
No. 2 -- No. 30 Piper Charney (U-M) d. No. 23 Eleana Yu (Duke), 6-4, 7-6 (2)
No. 3 -- No. 29 Emma Jackson (Duke) d. No. 36 Lily Jones (U-M), 6-3, 6-4
No. 4 -- Ellie Coleman (Duke) d. No. 66 Reese Miller (U-M), 7-5, 6-7 (2-7), 6-2
No. 5 -- No. 51 Shavit Kimchi (Duke) d. Emily Sartz-Lunde (U-M), 4-6, 6-4, 6-3
No. 6 -- Jessica Bernales (U-M) d. Katie Codd (Duke), 5-7, 6-3, 6-3
Doubles
No. 1 -- No. 11 Ellie Coleman/Irina Balus (Duke) d. No. 27 Piper Charney/Jessica Bernales (U-M), 6-1
No. 2 -- Shavit Kimchi/Ava Krug (Duke) d. No. 45 Reese Miller/Julia Fliegner (U-M), 6-4
No. 3 -- Lily Jones/Ava Bruno (U-M) d. Emma Jackson/Eleana Yu (Duke), 6-1
Order of Completion: Doubles 1-3-2; Singles 1-3-2-5-6-4
Players Mentioned
