Upcoming Event: Men's Tennis versus Orange and Blue Classic on September 12, 2025
Men's Tennis
vs Orange and Blue Classic
Wednesday, October 6
Tulsa, Okla.
All Day
Duke University
vs
Main Draw - Day One
Heller, Zhang Advance in Doubles Main Draw
10/6/2021 8:50:00 PM | Men's Tennis
TULSA, Okla. – After battling their way through qualifying play to earn a spot in the main draw, the Duke doubles tandem of Michael Heller and Andrew Zhang won their fourth match Wednesday to advance at the 2021 ITA All-American Championships.
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The juniors escaped with a thrilling super tiebreak win. The pair defeated No. 14 Connor Di Marco and Kody Pearson of Tulsa 7-6 in the opening set before dropping set two 6-4. In the final set, Heller and Zhang registered a 10-8 victory to claim the win. The victory marked the second in as many days for the Duke duo against a ranked doubles pair. The Blue Devils topped Oregon's 55th-ranked Ivailo Keremedchiev and Jesper Klov-Nilsson 6-3, 6-4 on Tuesday to earn a spot in the tournament's main draw.
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Heller and Zhang will be back in action Thursday against No. 40 Robert Cash and Matij Vocel of Ohio State at 4 p.m. CT at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center on the campus of the University of Tulsa.
Fellow teammates and No. 9 ranked Garrett Johns and Sean Sculley were also back in action Wednesday but dropped a 7-5, 7-5 decision to No. 21 Pavel Motl and Stijn Slump of Middle Tennessee StÂate. The pair will compete Thursday in the consolation main draw.
DOUBLES
Main Draw First Round (Wednesday)
Michael Heller/Andrew Zhang (Duke) def. No. 14 Connor Di Marco and Kody Pearson (Tulsa) 7-6, 4-6, 10-8
No. 21 Pavel Motl and Stijn Slump (MTSU) def. No. 9 Garrett Johns/Sean Sculley (Duke) 7-5, 7-5
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Qualifying Final Round (Tuesday)
Michael Heller/Andrew Zhang (Duke) def. No. 55 Ivailo Keremedchiev/Jesper Klov-Nilsson (Oregon), 6-3, 6-4
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Qualifying Second Round (Monday)
Michael Heller/Andrew Zhang (Duke) def. Marino Jakic/Vito Tonejc (DePaul) 6-2, 6-3
Qualifying Opening Round (Monday)
Michael Heller/Andrew Zhang (Duke) def. Rithvik Bollipalli/Chase Ferguson (South Florida) 7-6 (4), 7-5
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SINGLES
Qualifying Second Round (Tuesday)
No. 115 Chris Rodesch (Virginia) def. No. 51 Garrett Johns (Duke) 6-7 (5), 7-6 (6), 6-4
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Qualifying Consolation Round (Tuesday)
No. 120 Andrew Zhang (Duke) def. Abedallah Shelbayh (Florida) 1-6, 7-5, 6-3
No. 66 Joao Ceolin (UTSA) def. Sean Sculley (Duke) 6-4, 6-2
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Qualifying Opening Round (Monday)
No. 51 Garrett Johns (Duke) def. No. 121 Ilgiz Valiev (Texas Tech) 6-1, 6-2
Eric Hadigian (Pepperdine) def. Sean Sculley (Duke) 6-3, 7-6 (5)
No. 105 Francois Musitelli (Kentucky) def. No. 120 Andrew Zhang (Duke) 6-1, 6-2
#GoDuke
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The juniors escaped with a thrilling super tiebreak win. The pair defeated No. 14 Connor Di Marco and Kody Pearson of Tulsa 7-6 in the opening set before dropping set two 6-4. In the final set, Heller and Zhang registered a 10-8 victory to claim the win. The victory marked the second in as many days for the Duke duo against a ranked doubles pair. The Blue Devils topped Oregon's 55th-ranked Ivailo Keremedchiev and Jesper Klov-Nilsson 6-3, 6-4 on Tuesday to earn a spot in the tournament's main draw.
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Heller and Zhang will be back in action Thursday against No. 40 Robert Cash and Matij Vocel of Ohio State at 4 p.m. CT at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center on the campus of the University of Tulsa.
Fellow teammates and No. 9 ranked Garrett Johns and Sean Sculley were also back in action Wednesday but dropped a 7-5, 7-5 decision to No. 21 Pavel Motl and Stijn Slump of Middle Tennessee StÂate. The pair will compete Thursday in the consolation main draw.
DOUBLES
Main Draw First Round (Wednesday)
Michael Heller/Andrew Zhang (Duke) def. No. 14 Connor Di Marco and Kody Pearson (Tulsa) 7-6, 4-6, 10-8
No. 21 Pavel Motl and Stijn Slump (MTSU) def. No. 9 Garrett Johns/Sean Sculley (Duke) 7-5, 7-5
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Qualifying Final Round (Tuesday)
Michael Heller/Andrew Zhang (Duke) def. No. 55 Ivailo Keremedchiev/Jesper Klov-Nilsson (Oregon), 6-3, 6-4
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Qualifying Second Round (Monday)
Michael Heller/Andrew Zhang (Duke) def. Marino Jakic/Vito Tonejc (DePaul) 6-2, 6-3
Qualifying Opening Round (Monday)
Michael Heller/Andrew Zhang (Duke) def. Rithvik Bollipalli/Chase Ferguson (South Florida) 7-6 (4), 7-5
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SINGLES
Qualifying Second Round (Tuesday)
No. 115 Chris Rodesch (Virginia) def. No. 51 Garrett Johns (Duke) 6-7 (5), 7-6 (6), 6-4
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Qualifying Consolation Round (Tuesday)
No. 120 Andrew Zhang (Duke) def. Abedallah Shelbayh (Florida) 1-6, 7-5, 6-3
No. 66 Joao Ceolin (UTSA) def. Sean Sculley (Duke) 6-4, 6-2
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Qualifying Opening Round (Monday)
No. 51 Garrett Johns (Duke) def. No. 121 Ilgiz Valiev (Texas Tech) 6-1, 6-2
Eric Hadigian (Pepperdine) def. Sean Sculley (Duke) 6-3, 7-6 (5)
No. 105 Francois Musitelli (Kentucky) def. No. 120 Andrew Zhang (Duke) 6-1, 6-2
#GoDuke
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Players Mentioned
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