May 14, 2011
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DURHAM, N.C. -
The Maryland men's tennis team saw its postseason run come to an end Saturday as the Terrapins lost to Duke, 4-0, in the second round of the NCAA Championship.
Chris Mengel clinched the match for the 12th-ranked Blue Devils (22-9) with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Tommy Laine at No. 3 singles.
The 44th-ranked Terps (13-13), making their first-ever appearance in the NCAAs, had a chance to steal the doubles point in a match delayed by rain and moved indoors, but Duke's Reid Carleto and Henrique Cunha outlasted John Collins and Maros Horny 9-8 (7-4) at the No. 1 position after the teams split at Nos. 2 and 3.
"Duke did a good job of taking care of business today," Maryland head coach Kyle Spencer said. "We really weren't able to capitalize on our opportunities."
Cunha, the No. 8 player in the country, also downed Horny 6-1, 7-5 at No. 1 singles and Carleto, ranked No. 13 nationally, defeated Collins 6-1, 6-2 at the No. 2 spot in the order.
Duke, the No. 11 overall seed in the 64-team field, advances to face Georgia next week in Stanford, Calif., in the NCAA round of 16.
Despite the loss, the Terps should look back on the season as one of many accomplishments.
"I'm disappointed about today, but pleased with the season," Spencer said. "We've done some things that have never been done at Maryland. I'm proud of the guys for buying into what we were doing. The effort they gave every day was tremendous."
Not only was Maryland in its first NCAA Tournament, but the Terps also defeated six ranked teams this season, including No. 29 Michigan in Friday's first round, and won a match at last month's Atlantic Coast Conference Championship.
Maryland had only beaten five ranked teams over the previous five seasons and hadn't won in the ACC Tournament in 22 years before it upended Florida State in the opening round. That marked only the Terps second win over the powerful Seminoles and first as a member of the ACC.
