Duke Concludes Day One of Duke Fab 4 Invite

Friday, September 12

Cary, N.C.

All Day

Duke University

Day One at Duke Invitational

Goldfeld Drops Riviera/ITA First Round Match

Duke Concludes Day One of Duke Fab 4 Invite

9/12/2014 8:48:00 PM | Women's Tennis

By: Duke Sports Information

CARY, N.C. – The Duke women's tennis team opened the 2014-15 season Friday, Sept. 12, competing in the Duke Fab Four Invitational at the Cary Tennis Center in Cary, N.C. Three Blue Devils advanced to the singles quarterfinal round, while Duke saw two doubles teams reach the third-place match and a third doubles pair play into the consolation finals.

Tournament play opened with the first and second rounds of doubles. Redshirt senior Rachel Kahan, paired with Virginia's Marie Faure, advanced to the semifinals of the black draw after defeating North Carolina's tandem of Hayley Carter and Maggie Kane, 8-6. The duo was unable to defeat Florida's team of Kourtney Keegan and Josie Kuhlman in the semifinal round however, as Kahan and Faure fell to the Florida team, 8-5. Kahan and Faure are scheduled to face Furman's Ansley Speaks and Alex Moreno in the third-place match.

In the blue draw, the Duke pair of senior Ester Goldfeld and freshman Samantha Harris moved out of the quarterfinal round after defeating Furman's Blair Martin and Karlee Bryde, 8-4. Similar to Kahan and Faure, Goldfeld and Harris were unable to advance beyond the semifinal round however, falling to Florida's Belinda Woolcock and Spencer Liang, 8-5. Goldfeld and Harris return to doubles action tomorrow in the third-place match against Miami's Sinead Lohan and Stephanie Wagner.

Duke's third doubles team in the tournament, sophomore Alyssa Smith and freshman Rebecca Smaller teamed together for the first time in their collegiate careers Friday, falling in the opening round of play to the Ole Miss pair of Natalie Suk and Zalina Khairudinova, 8-4. The Duke pair responded in the consolation semifinal round however, defeating San Jose State's Marie Klocker and Gaelle Rey, 8-3. Smith and Smaller begin play Saturday by facing North Carolina's Kate Vialle and Ashley Dai in the consolation finals.

The Blue Devils posted strong play in singles action as well, as three of Duke's five singles players advanced to the quarterfinal round of the tournament.

Harris, competing in her first collegiate singles match, earned a victory over Furman's Karlee Bryde, 6-4, 6-1, and is scheduled to face Oklahoma State's 47th-ranked Kelsey Laurente Saturday morning in the quarterfinal round.

Duke's 12th-ranked Goldfeld joins Harris in the quarterfinal round of singles after outlasting Ole Miss's Natalie Suk, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5). The two proved evenly matched as the contest required two set tiebreaks to determine a winner.

In addition to Harris and Goldfeld, Kahan also opens play Saturday with a quarterfinal singles match against Florida's Josie Kuhlman. Kahan defeated Furman's Alex Moreno, 6-4, 6-1, to advance in the tournament.

Smith, the 109th-ranked singles player in the country, fell to Oklahoma State's Vladica Babic in a hard-fought, 7-5, 6-3 contest, while teammate Smaller put in a valiant effort against the 18th-ranked Stephanie Wagner of Miami, but also fell, 6-3, 6-4. Smith and Smaller both return to action in consolation quarterfinal matchups Saturday.

Due to the potential for inclement weather, the second round of the singles main draw for men and women has been moved to 9 a.m. tomorrow morning, followed immediately by the second round of the men's and women's consolation draw. The start time for doubles is yet to be determined.

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