Getting into the flow of things is what Leslie Eisinga is all about. The freshman tennis player has tested the waters at Oregon and is ready for bigger and better things.
The Helleveetsluis, Netherlands native came to Eugene not knowing much about Oregon or the Pacific-10 Conference. But an up-and-down tennis season taught Eisinga much about the system and the Pac-10.
“I’m just trying to get used to things as fast as possible,” Eisinga said. “I haven’t had a lot to adjust to in Pac-10 matches. The more I get used to it, the better player I think I will be.”
The intense style of play head coach Chris Russell teaches has changed the way that Eisinga has looked at tennis.
“I’ve seen him grow, not so much technically, but in the kind of intensity that we need out of him on a day-to-day basis,” Russell said.
After a rocky start to the season, in which Eisinga lost five of his first six singles matches, he turned a corner. Near the end of February, Eisinga and doubles partner Guillermo Carter upset the top-ranked doubles team in the nation. The freshman-senior combo outlasted Stanford’s Geoff Abrams and Alex Kim, 8-6.
Eisinga, whose current singles record is 17-16, went on to win his next six singles matches and his next four doubles matches with Carter.
“‘Memo has helped me out a lot.” Eisinga said of the nicknamed Carter. “He’s a leader. He has a lot of experience being a senior. In doubles, he tells me what to do in the important moment. It really helps.”
According to Russell, Carter “has had a big influence on him. For Leslie to be out there on the court with Memo has really helped him out. Without a doubt, he’s helped him off the court too.”
The Stanford upset was just the beginning for Eisinga and Carter, Oregon’s No. 1 doubles team. Despite playing nine doubles teams ranked in the top-50, the team has compiled an 18-9 record, good enough for second in the Oregon single-season record book.
On April 28, Eisinga and Carter went on an incredible run at the Pac-10 championships, winning their first three matches. Then-ranked No. 34, the doubles team upset UCLA’s No. 46 Jean-Julien Rojer and Jean Noel Grinda and Arizona State’s No. 41 Ed Carter and Alex Osterrieth to leap into the semifinals. The next day, Eisinga and Carter eliminated another Cinderella doubles team, Southern California’s Parker Collins and Andrew Park to become the first-ever finalist from Oregon. Although they fought into the third set, then-No. 2 Jong-Min Lee and Brandon Kramer were, in the end, too much for Eisinga and Carter.
It was some consolation for the team when they were selected for the NCAA tournament, along with a team berth against Fresno State. With at least two matches remaining for Eisinga and Carter, the two could break the school record for wins in a season.
Eisinga has thrived in the tournament atmosphere, succeeding in both the post-and preseason. In the fall, Eisinga went 8-4, including impressive wins over Washington’s Mark Woolley and teammate Thomas Schneiter.
“I like the tournaments more; it’s more of an individual effort.” Eisinga said. “I have to get used to the team matches. They bring a little more pressure. I hope I can do better next season.”

Eisinga has made Oregon a much deeper team, and has benefited from the team’s depth. In the past, Eisinga would have had to play higher up in the Duck lineup. But playing most of the season at the No. 4 spot, Eisinga has adapted to the Pac-10 with more ease than if he were playing the No. 2 or 3 spot.
“It has allowed [Leslie] to see what it takes to play at a higher level.” Russell said. “And allowed him to get some confidence.”
Eisinga is eager for the future.
“I think I can improve a lot more,” he said. “I’m going to set more goals for next year. Now that I know how strong the competition is, I can set higher goals.”
Eisinga is a key part of a young nucleus of players that will lead the Ducks into the future. That nucleus includes Schneiter, a sophomore, and fellow freshmen Oded Teig and Jason Menke, as well as heralded Duck recruit Buck Mink.
“I wanted to help this team build up to a higher level,” he said. “I think we’re headed in the right direction.”