Sheffield named nation's top facility

It looks relatively unassuming from the front. Just another building among many around Duke's campus.

Nevertheless, the Sheffield Tennis Center received the United States Tennis Association's Outstanding Tennis Facility award yesterday afternoon as the nation's top tennis complex.

"It is a great honor," men's tennis coach Jay Lapidus said. "It is definitely one of the top collegiate facilities in the country. It is nice to see that the great effort that was put into the building is being recognized by this great reward."

First opened last year, the Sheffield Center houses both the men's and women's tennis teams. Its many advanced features make it extremely popular among those with the most exposure to it.

"I love playing there," Lapidus said. "The six courts side-by-side [as opposed to the traditional three-by-three setup] really lead to a team atmosphere. The lighting on the courts is absolutely the best I have ever seen and the ceiling is a perfect height.... It is a great overall package."

Aside from the tennis courts, the building offers a host of other amenities, including several cushy lounges, state-of-the-art locker rooms and a display room that houses the ACC championship trophies collected by both programs over the years.

Above all, though, the Sheffield Center is Duke Tennis-a great facility for a traditionally strong program.