The Duke tennis team, ranked in the nation’s top-10 all season, will enter the postseason without the gritty Stephen Amritraj.
The Blue Devils (18-4, 8-2 in the ACC) begin ACC Tournament play today as the second seed, facing seventh-seeded North Carolina in the quarterfinals at the Cary Tennis Center. Duke defeated UNC 7-0 in Chapel Hill on April 13, but their task will be more difficult in the wake of Amritraj’s injury.
A junior from Calabasas, Ca., Amritraj played second and third singles before tearing his anterior cruciate ligament during the Blue Devils’ final regular-season win against Virginia Tech. He compiled a record of 16-12 on the season and was the squad’s most visible on-court leader.
“It’s going to be tough to make up for losing a player like Stephen,” senior Peter Shults said. “We really need to regroup and try to stay together. We need to fight harder and work harder, and I think we can do it.”
Freshman Ned Samuelson and senior Jason Zimmermann will be responsible for filling Amritraj’s void in the lineup. Samuelson has a 6-0 ledger in dual match singles play but has yet to be tested in a pressure situation during his short career. Zimmermann has much more experience, and a 10-9 record in doubles and a 3-2 mark in singles is the Blue Devils other option to play at the bottom of the lineup.
“Zimmermann or Ned or both might be playing, and both are definitely capable of stepping up,” Shults said.
According to Zimmermann, the team is not going to stick with one particular look.
“I think we’re going to be changing up the lineup everyday,” Zimmermann said. “We’re looking to get the best matchups possible and keep everyone fresh and well-rested. We have a really deep and strong team and we definitely have a chance to win the ACCs.”
With every starter with the exception of all-ACC performer Ludovic Walter moving up one spot, everyone will help account for Amritraj’s loss.
At singles positions four through six, the Blue Devils have combined for records of 15-7, 19-3 and 18-3, respectively, and moving up one spot could hinder their success.
Coach Jay Lapidus’ Duke squad no longer dominates the ACC the way it once did, mostly because the rest of the league is catching up. This year top-seeded Virginia presents the biggest obstacle to overcome for Lapidus’ 11th ACC championship. The Cavaliers appear to have Duke’s number, as UVa has won the last three matches, including two 4-3 comeback victories. Virginia was also responsible for eliminating the Blue Devils in the 2004 ACC semifinals.
Although the NCAA Tournament is generally considered every team’s main focus, the Duke players think that a strong showing in the ACCs would provide a much needed boost for the NCAAs.
“After losing the regular-season title, it will be important to enter the NCAAs on a high note,” Zimmermann said. “We need to be confident, and if we get a good result, if we win this, it would really prove we are ready for the NCAA Tournament.”
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