After a disappointing end to the 2007 team season, the Blue Devils return to the court this weekend, albeit in an individual format, determined to improve on last year's finish.
"[The fall season] is just kind of an introduction to college tennis for our freshmen, and a way for our returning players to get back into the swing of things," associate head coach Ramsey Smith said. "We start off at a pretty high level, though, and we'll get to see where we are right away."
The fall season, in which players take on opponents from other schools with only their own ranking at stake, places a different set of demands on the competitors. Instead of simply playing two matches, one doubles and one singles, in one day like in the dual match, spring format, players compete in several matches over a period ranging from two to five days.
The matches are not held simultaneously, and several courts are used at each site, making it difficult for both coaches and teammates to be present for all matches.
"We still support one another and act like a team, but individual play is a little bit of a 'me-against-the-world' mentality," sophomore Aaron Carpenter said.
Perhaps the most important function of the individual season is to get the team's freshmen accustomed to playing at the collegiate level. While some tournaments, like the ITA All-American Tournament in early October, require players to qualify based on the previous season's results, others, like this weekend's UVa Fall Invitational, allow teams to bring as many players as they want. Duke will have eight players involved in singles action this weekend.
"I remember when I was a freshman last year, the first couple of individual tournaments were a really good experience in getting used to the competition," Carpenter said. "You also really get the chance to bond with your teammates."
Despite the fact that the Blue Devils have had four months to rest since their last team match, the players are not in perfect shape physically. Senior David Goulet is still recovering from a severe ankle sprain suffered in May, and freshman Jared Pinsky will be out for a couple of weeks with a back injury. Sophomore Dylan Arnould also had a lingering foot injury that limited his summer play, but he appears to have recovered.
This weekend in Charlottesville, Duke will have the opportunity to play against some of the very best players in the country. The UVa Fall Invitational will consist of nine different draws of 16 players each, with three of the draws including only nationally ranked players. The players are naturally motivated for the start of the season, but they are also looking to improve on a poor result at this event last season. All eight Blue Devils were knocked out of their main-draw brackets in 2006.
"We want to make a statement about how good we are going to be this year," Arnould said. "The individual season is kind of a test run for the spring, but we are hoping to get as many wins as possible under our belt right away."
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