The men's tennis team has come a long way this year, from an NCAA regional loss last spring to a place in the upper echelons of collegiate tennis, with several upsets over top teams en route. And none of the Blue Devils have traveled a longer journey than Pedro Escudero.
Three years ago, the junior transfer's desire to play collegiate tennis took him all the way across the Atlantic Ocean. A native of Valladolid, Spain, Escudero played professionally for two years, but he wanted to go to college. Staying in Spain would have meant choosing one or the other, so he came to America to do both. A friend who had played for perennial tennis powerhouse Louisiana State contacted him and, after making a visit, he decided to become a Tiger.
While Escudero did find the level of competition a notch lower in collegiate than professional tennis, he also had to get used to college's team-oriented play.
"It's different," Escudero said. "After just competing individually for a few years, I've had to get used to playing on a team. The level of competition is a little bit lower here, but it's getting better; it's difficult."
In two years at LSU, Escudero reached a No. 25 national ranking, upset four top- 10 players, earned second-team All-SEC honors twice and played in the NCAA singles tournament both years.
Despite his individual achievements and his team's No. 1 ranking last year, the
"The coach was crazy, really crazy," he said. "I just decided, 'I've got to get out of here.'"
And he did. With encouragement from Alberto Brause, an old friend from his professional days and a member of Duke's tennis team from 1996-98, Escudero transferred to Duke.
The Blue Devils' only new face on the court, Escudero has already made a significant impact. Coach Jay Lapidus expected the new addition to his team to boost Duke's singles play, but he ended up with more than he bargained for.
"I knew he was a great singles player, but what I didn't know, and am really excited about, is his doubles play and team leadership," Lapidus said. "[Escudero's] willing to play anywhere in the lineup and doesn't really care about individual accolades; he puts the team first. And his play in doubles with Doug [Root] has been tremendous. He's given us a lot more than we expected."
Escudero and Root seemed a perfect match from the start of the season, winning the ACC Indoors doubles title in their first tournament together and compiling an 8-1 record through the end of February.
March brought a slump, though, as the tandem struggled with its play and dropped key matches against Florida, Texas and Texas Christian. Recently, however, the pair's play has improved again.
"We've had our ups and downs," Root said. "We started out well, then we struggled for a bit, but now we're back on track."
Currently ranked No. 100 nationally in singles, Escudero has found the chemistry on his new team much better than on his old one. He just started his Duke career this semester, but so far, he's had no trouble fitting in as a Blue Devil.
"Definitely, I like this team," Escudero said. "[Lapidus] is a great coach. The guys have made me feel welcome; we all go out together a lot. It's a great atmosphere."
While Escudero has had an easy transition from LSU to Duke, he is still getting used to life in the United States. The move from Spain to America, and having to learn an unfamiliar language, has left him somewhat reeling from culture shock.
"It's been difficult, because I had to learn the language," Escudero said. "When I first got here, I hardly knew any English at all. It's quite a difference between Spain and here, but I'm starting to get used to it. Over there, people do more communally, with family and friends and neighbors. Over here, everyone's more individualistic."
Escudero, who says he misses Spain, isn't sure whether he will go back there right after he finishes his Duke career or whether he will stay in the U.S. But for the time being, the Blue Devils are happy to have him in Durham.
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