Elvis has left the building, but the men’s tennis team still expects to make a run at the NCAA Championship.
The king—four-time All-American Phillip King—graduated, and in the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season, the team suffered a nail-biting upset to Clemson.
In spite of the circumstances, the team tastes no bitterness heading into a fresh season.
“We haven’t talked about last year’s finish very much because each year is a different group,” head coach Jay Lapidus said. “Phil was great, that’s obviously a tough loss, but we are going to be great, and I see some improvement.”
In early-season action, No. 8 Duke (3-1) impressed with a 6-1 victory over No. 25 Notre Dame. Even in a 5-2 loss to No. 5 Illinois, the Blue Devils showed that they can compete with anyone, especially with Ludovic Walter at the No. 1 position.
Walter, who is ranked sixth nationally, is the biggest reason why few seem worried after King’s departure. Walter garnered All-American honors last season and has stepped his game up to even greater heights. With a 120-mile-per-hour first serve, a potent baseline game and deft touch at the net, the Frenchman has made some noise in early season action.
“Ludovic is playing really well—he just beat the No. 2 and No. 6 players in the country, both in straight sets,” Lapidus said. “[Jonathan] Stokke has raised his game to another level this year, and both guys are just really playing well for us.”
Stokke, currently No. 52 in the country, has added power and consistency to both his service and baseline games, and his net play has always been a strength. Stokke, however, believes it is fitness that will make the difference in both his individual play and the team’s overall success.
“Last year we had two guys cramp up in the NCAAs,” said Stokke, a junior from Chapel Hill. “Peter Rodrigues was up 5-2 in the third set when he cramped up, and King was five points away from winning his match when he cramped up. This year we all worked with trainer Jeff Howser, and the guy really helped us all with our conditioning and weight training.”
The team that Howser trains is significantly deeper than last season’s squad. Every starter returns except for King, with Walter, Stokke, Rodrigues, Stephen Amritraj and Jason Zimmermann filling out the top five. The sixth spot appears to be undecided, as senior Peter Schults, junior Chris Brown and freshmen Charles Brezac, Alex Stone and Ned Samuelson continue to vie for it.
“We have talented freshmen—Charles Brezac from France, Alex Stone and Ned Samuelson,” Stokke said. “You can’t replace a Phil King, I mean that guy played in two U.S. Opens, but we are talented.”
Although it is still the heart of winter, the players already appear eager to get the season going. Their next test is only six days away when the the Blue Devils travel to Chicago for the ITA National Men’s Team Indoor Championship. With a first-round matchup against No. 11 Louisiana State and a potential second-round meeting with No. 1 Baylor, Duke will have the opportunity to prove itself.
“Everyone had a good showing against Illinois, and we beat Notre Dame’s ass,” Stone said. “If we work a lot before the end of the season, we can definitely be No. 1 and go all the way.”
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