Sophomore Dmitry Muzyka got a late start in the game of tennis. Growing up in the Ukraine under a Communist regime, most kids his age had already been playing since they were seven years old, so when Muzyka first picked up a racket at age nine, he had some catching up to do.
Yet now, it seems that other players are trying to catch up to Muzyka. Ranked No. 18 in the nation after the fall season, Muzyka has come into the Duke program and made an immediate impact.
Being successful in the sport is nothing new to Muzyka. After playing in several tournaments in his home country, he played on the Ukrainian Davis Cup team, and when he was 15, he was the top-ranked player in the 18-and-under age group. But because of political problems at home, Muzyka and his mother moved to Poland for a year and Germany for half a year to continue his training.
After this time, Muzyka heard about the prestigious tennis schools in America, and at age 16, he moved to Florida to attend the well-known Bollettieri school. Muzyka spent his senior year playing for the International Tennis Federation, a circuit on which he achieved a No. 30 world ranking. It was also at Bollettieri that Muzyka met current Duke teammate Sebastien Gobbi.
"On the first or second day of school I just bumped into him and he was lost, looking for a class," Gobbi said. "We ended up being in the same class, and ever since, we've been friends."
Although the two graduated together, Muzyka took a year off from school while Gobbi went directly to Duke. The time off was good for Muzyka-he made the semifinals of the Masters Tournament in Thailand and the quarterfinals at the 1992 Japan Open, as well as winning the Maryland USTA doubles hard-court title.
"The year off definitely gave him more experience than the rest of the players-not only on our team, but other teams in the country," assistant coach Dave Hagymas said. "He has a lot of international experience, and you can see that on the court. He has more composure than any of the other players. In a tight situation he's very calm, very collected, and he's not rattled by little things that bother other players."
During his year off, Muzyka also visited Durham twice, once to visit Gobbi and again on a recruiting trip. Encouraged by the school's academics, tennis coaches and team, he followed Gobbi's recommendations and decided to come to Duke without even considering any other schools. Ironically, the year Muzyka enrolled, Gobbi took a year off to play the pro circuit, but the two will be playing together again as teammates this spring.
At Duke, Muzyka has continued his winning ways, totaling a 17-4 record in conference play last year at the No. 2 singles position He had the Blue Devils' highest win total with his 29-8 singles record, and was ranked as high as No. 42 in the country. Most impressive, however, were Muzyka's postseason honors. He was named to the all-conference team and won ACC Rookie of the Year, becoming the first Blue Devil to nab the award.
"He's very mature on the court," coach Jay Lapidus said. "I don't get the feeling that any situation overwhelms him."
Yet for all his success, Muzyka remains incredibly modest, crediting his coaches and teammates.
"He's a great team guy, and when he's out there I have a lot of confidence," Lapidus said. "When you put him out there for a team match, he loves to win for the team."
"[Muzyka] is a great guy, very unselfish, and he's a great tennis player," Gobbi said.
And it is the combination of these traits that should add up to another winning season for Muzyka.
"I don't like to set goals-I would rather just try and do as well as I can in every match," Muzyka said. "But one thing I would like to do-[senior Sven Koehler] and I would like to become the No. 1 doubles team. It would be great to win NCAAs because we would get a wild card to the U.S. Open.
"We have beaten Nos. 1, 2 and 4 at the time [during the fall season], so we know we can pull it off if everything goes well. I would like to see that because Sven is a senior and this is the last year we will be playing together."
The goal is realistic for the duo. Koehler and Muzyka, roommates off the court, are ranked No. 4 nationally after their fall season, which included an upset of the then-top-ranked TCU team at the All-American Tournament. Individually, Muzyka will be playing at the No. 1 position for the Blue Devils this season.
"I'm very excited about the team," Muzyka said. "We are No. 8 preseason, but I am hoping we will be much better. It would be great if people would come out to watch and support the team. The conference has improved a lot since last year, but hopefully we'll start a legacy for Duke tennis."
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