The current Oregon tennis teams’ terrific starts are beginning to resemble the starts of last year.
The problem: Both the men and women faltered down the stretch last season and do not want a replay of that bad luck this season.
The Oregon men (6-1 overall) started the 2003 season 7-1 but ended up losing 11 of their last 12 dual matches to finish at 8-12 overall. The Ducks’ last win before that streak came against UC-Santa Barbara, which the men will play this coming weekend in Santa Clara, Calif. One reason for the men’s good start is the addition of sophomore Markus Schiller, who has solidified the No. 3 and No. 4 positions in the lineup. Schiller transferred to Oregon from Auburn right before the beginning of the dual-match season and has cemented his position behind the top three players, juniors Sven Swinnen and Manuel Kost, and sophomore Thomas Bieri.
Schiller said he is looking forward to the start of the Pacific-10 Conference season, which is coming up after this weekend, but he believes he needs to improve his play if he wants to be successful.
“I think I definitely have to get the intensity a little bit higher,” Schiller said. “I think I did pretty well so far. Pac-10 is a new level. It (has) better opponents so I need to get more intense and play even better.”
The Oregon women (8-0 overall, 2-0 Pac-10) also began last year 7-1 but subsequently won three of their final 17 dual matches to close with a 10-15 record in 2003.
Oregon head coach Nils Schyllander believes the reason for the downfall last season was injuries, including the season-ending knee surgery to senior Davina Mendiburu. However, this year the Ducks are playing with a healthy team and are beginning to show their potential to rack up an undefeated record.
“Last year with Davina out, we had a hole in the middle of our lineup,” Schyllander said. “(Getting) her back has been a huge part of our success. We just need to stay healthy and be lucky in that way and keep plugging away and taking it one match at a time.”
Mendiburu has provided quality depth in the lineup and continues to be successful at whatever position she plays. Having improved from the No. 5 position to the No. 2 position throughout the course of the year, Mendiburu now has an 8-0 dual match-singles record.
Depth is proving to be a key asset for the women. In addition to Mendiburu’s comeback, freshman Dominika Dieskova is fast becoming one of the best players in the conference behind her teammate and reigning Pac-10 Women’s Player of the Year, junior Daria Panova. Dieskova earned one of the biggest wins in her career when she defeated Arizona’s Diane Hollands in three sets, 6-4, 4-6 and 6-4, last weekend. Hollands is ranked No. 28 nationally in singles.
“I feel like we’re deeper this year than we were (last season),” Schyllander said.