SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Seniors Yashna Yellayi and Julia Andreach put on spectacular performances on Senior Day Friday, both going a perfect 2-0 in singles and doubles and leading the University of Notre Dame to its first win over Duke since joining the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2014.
Before the match, Yellayi and Andreach were honored on court alongside their teammates, coaches, and families for the tremendous impact each has made on the program and broader campus community. As play began, the Fighting Irish secured the doubles point with a gritty 6-4 win from Yellayi and Nibi Ghosh on court three, followed by a hard fought 7-6 (5) win at the top position from Andreach and Page Freeman.
Momentum continued for the Irish as Andreach, Bojana Pozder, and Yellayi each claimed opening sets at No. 1, No. 3, and No. 5, respectively. The Blue Devils leveled play with a win at No. 6, before Yellayi and Pozder locked down straight set wins to extend the Irish lead to 3-1. Duke would add one more point on the board with a competitive win on court two, but Notre Dame ultimately prevailed, as Andreach closed out a 7-5, 7-5 win to clinch the team’s milestone victory.
The Irish returned to action on Sunday against No. 4 North Carolina, the national defending champions. The Tar Heels took the doubles point with wins on courts one and two, but Notre Dame fought back by taking two first sets in singles. The visitors secured wins on courts three, four, and one to clinch the match, before adding another point on court six. The Irish did not relent, as Yellayi and Freeman both battled to defeat top 70-ranked opponents and bring the final match score to 2-5.
Next Up
Notre Dame looks forward to the ACC Tournament in Cary, North Carolina. The seventh-seeded Irish began play on Thursday at 6:00 p.m. ET against 10th-seeded Syracuse. Bracket, schedule, and more can be found at ACC Tournament Central, here.
#32 Notre Dame 4, #21 Duke 2
Singles
No. 1 – #28 Julia Andreach (ND) def. #87 Emma Jackson (DUKE) 7-5, 7-5
No. 2 – #58 Shavit Kimchi (DUKE) def. Page Freeman (ND) 6-4, 7-6(6)
No. 3 – Bojana Pozder (ND) def. #81 Iuliia Bryzgalova (DUKE) 6-4, 7-6(1)
No. 4 – Nibi Ghosh (ND) vs. #107 Katie Codd (DUKE) 4-6, 6-6 (1-3), DNF
No. 5 – Yashna Yellayi (ND) def. Brianna Shvets (DUKE) 6-3, 6-3
No. 6 – Karolina Berankova (DUKE) def. Akari Matsuno (ND) 6-3, 6-3
Doubles
No. 1 – #44 Page Freeman/Julia Andreach (ND) def. Karolina Berankova/Katie Codd (DUKE) 7-6(5)
No. 2 – Emma Jackson/Shavit Kimchi (DUKE) def. Carrie Beckman/Akari Matsuno (ND) 6-1
No. 3 – Yashna Yellayi/Nibi Ghosh (ND) def. Brianna Shvets/Iuliia Bryzgalova (DUKE) 6-4
Order of finish
Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (6,5,3,2,1)
#4 North Carolina 5, #32 Notre Dame 2
Singles
No. 1 – #17 Fiona Crawley (UNC) def. #28 Julia Andreach (ND) 6-4, 6-2
No. 2 – Page Freeman (ND) def. #50 Reilly Tran (UNC) 6-3, 3-6, 4-0, ret.
No. 3 – #48 Carson Tanguilig (UNC) def. Bojana Pozder (ND) 6-1, 6-0
No. 4 – #27 Anika Yarlagadda (UNC) def. Nibi Ghosh (ND) 6-1, 6-0
No. 5 – Yashna Yellayi (ND) def. #70 Thea Rabman (UNC) 6-4, 7-6(5)
No. 6 – Tatum Evans (UNC) def. Akari Matsuno (ND) 6-2, 7-5
Doubles
No. 1 – #13 Fiona Crawley/Carson Tanguilig (NC) def. #44 Julia Andreach/Page Freeman (ND) 6-1
No. 2 – #47 Elizabeth Scotty/Anika Yarlagadda (NC) def. Carrie Beckman/Akari Matsuno (ND) 6-2
No. 3 – Yashna Yellayi/Nibi Ghosh (ND) vs. #23 Abbey Forbes/Reilly Tran (NC) 3-4, DNF
Order of finish
Doubles (2,1); Singles (3,4,1,6,5,2)