Good conditioning played a major role in Duke's march to the Sweet 16 of last year's NCAA Tournament. Even so, the Blue Devils heartbreaking 4-3 loss to Pepperdine proved their stamina was still not good enough to challenge for a national championship.
Graduated senior Jason Zimmermann cramped up in the decisive match, leading to Duke's eventual demise. As a result, the 2005-2006 men's tennis team has emphasized fitness as it prepares for the season, which begins this weekend with the Southern Intercollegiates in Athens, Ga. and the UNC Invitational in Chapel Hill.
"We're working on our conditioning and putting forth a good effort in practice," head coach Jay Lapidus said. "We're trying to prepare mentally and physically for the season."
With the hiring of 2001 Duke graduate Ramsey Smith as an assistant coach during the off season, the Blue Devils are taking extra steps to make sure history doesn't repeat itself.
"We've got a new assistant coach who's changed the way we work out and it's going well," said senior Ludovic Walter, Duke's top-ranked singles player. "We're going to get a lot better."
The Blue Devils return most of their key players from a team that finished 8th in the nation last season. They also add Ohio State transfer Joey Atas. Walter is the No. 2 singles player in the country according to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings while Atas, a junior, is ranked 29th.
Atas said he has made a seamless transition from Columbus, Ohio to Durham, adding that his teammates accepted him right away.
"Joey's a very good player and he's fit in with the team," Lapidus said. "His attitude and work ethic fit in perfectly. I feel like this isn't his first year, it's like he's been here for a few years already."
Walter and Atas are complemented by senior Jonathan Stokke, ranked 53rd in the nation, and junior Peter Rodrigues, ranked 88th. Atas and Stokke are the No. 40 doubles tandem while Walter and Rodrigues are ranked 46th. Since neither duo played together last season, the Blue Devils have spent extra time practicing doubles during their preparation for the fall season.
Although dual meets and the ACC schedule do not begin until the end of January, Lapidus said the fall tournaments are important in developing consistency that will hopefully translate into team success in the spring.
"The fall is just individual tournaments, so we're just trying to get out there and play, win some matches, and get confidence for the spring," Walter said.
The Blue Devils are striving to win their 11th ACC Championship under Lapidus and expect to put themselves in a position to make a run at an NCAA title.
"We didn't lose too many guys, so we have more experience this year," Lapidus said. "We looked real good in the summer. We've worked real hard as a group."
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