BLACK & GOLD FALL TO #21 DUKE, 6-1

RICHMOND, Va. – With a young team, a season can feel somewhat like a roller coaster ride. The Virginia Commonwealth University men's team are riding that roller coaster right now.

After starting the 2010 season 6-1, but after falling to 21st-ranked Duke, 6-1 on Sunday, the Rams dropped their third straight match to fall to 6-4 on the year.

VCU would battle the Blue Devils hard in the doubles, but lost all three matches as Duke went up 1-0 early.

Duke would not go away in singles, picking up two straight wins at #4 and #1, before Tim Johannsen (Hohenlockstedt, Germany) dropped Dylan Arnould, 6-3, 7-5 at #3 to get the Black & Gold on the board.

Unfortunately, that's where it stopped as the Blue Devils won the last three matches, but not after freshman Camill Salomon (Limoges, France) nearly picked up a win at #6, but fell in a 6-1, 3-6, 10-7 thriller against David Holland.

The Rams host in-state and conference rival Old Dominion on Wednesday afternoon in a 3 p.m. showdown at Thalhimer Tennis Center.  

#21 Duke 6, VCU 1

Singles Competition
1. Henrique Cunha def. Thibaut Charron, 6-4, 7-6 (4)
2. Reid Carleton def. Krisztian Krocsko, 5-7, 6-3, 6-2
3. Tim Johannsen def. Dylan Arnould, 6-3, 7-5
4. Torsten Wietoska def. Filip Svensson, 6-0, 6-4
5. Jared Pinsky def. Max Wennakoski, 6-4, 6-2
6. David Holland def. Camill Salomon, 6-1, 3-6, 10-7

Doubles Competition
1. Cunha/Carleton def. Charron/Johannsen, 8-5
2. Arnould/Holland def. Salomon/Perman, 8-6
3. Wietoska/Michel def. Krocsko/Wennakoski, 8-4

Match Notes:
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (4,1,3,2,5,6)