By Kyle Jorrey
Sports Editor
Last season the Waves had plenty of potential for making excuses. They were young, they had a new coach, and they played some of the toughest competition in the country.
Regardless, they still ended the season with a top 25 ranking, a WCC title, and a trip to the NCAA tournament.
This year Pepperdine men’s tennis won’t be making any excuses.
Despite the loss of All-American Diego Acuna, who joined the pro circuit in South America, the Waves return a solid group of quality tennis players, nearly all of whom saw significant play last year.
Senior captain Calle Hansen, coming off a very successful junior campaign, will spearhead the Wave attack. He is currently ranked as the No. 24 singles player in the country.
Head Coach Adam Steinberg said he has been nothing short of thrilled with Hansen’s rise to the ranks of the nation’s elite. According to him, the only thing that might match Hansen’s talent on the court, is the way he conducts himself off it.
“(Calle) is playing great,” Steinberg said. “He just won the Princeton Invitational and he really got some good matches in. His attitude is unreal. He is our leader and our best player.”
As the team’s lone senior, Hansen will again be depended upon for victories. Teammate Kevin Borzenski, who played all of last season with Hansen, said it should be no problem.
“Calle is our captain, he’s our big brother, he’s a leader on and off the court,” Borzenski said.
Looking to back up Hansen will be a strong core of sophomores, lead by Pedro Rico and Scott Doerner. With a year of the college game now under their belts, both Rico and Doerner are looking to take their games to the next level.
If the team is going to succeed, it will need wins from these two up-and-coming players in No. 2 and No. 3 singles, as well as in doubles.
“I feel like this is my year to step up and start making an impact in the rankings,” Doerner said. “I think with the experienced a lot of us gained last year, we are going to be a much more confident, and a smarter team.”
Steinberg has high expectations for both players.
“I think this year is a big year for Pedro and Scott,” he said. “Pedro can really step up his game and be a top 25 players, and Scott is in a position to take his game higher and really make impact… He improved as much as anyone else on the team.”
Rounding out the team will be junior Alexis Rafidison and sophomores Borzenski and Ali Fehmi. These players will be looked upon to help the Waves win the close, 4-3 matches, that often slipped by them last season.
To aid in this improvement, the team has hired a special conditioning coach that the team said is already paying off “huge dividends.”
“It’s making a big difference,” Doerner said about the new physical training program. “It gives you confidence that you can go all the way … especially in those third sets that come down to the wire; it’s not tennis skill that wins, it’s whoever can last the longest.”
According to Steinberg, all of his players will have to make an impact if the team wants to reach its high expectations – a spot in the national title match.
“No. 2 and 3 doubles is going to be huge for us in winning the big matches,” Steinberg said. “You just face such a high level competition at No. 1, that you need to get No. 2 and 3 if you want to contend.”
If everything goes as expected, Pepperdine will look to take an unprecedented 14th straight WCC title. Its biggest competition should come from the University of San Diego, who took one of two from the Waves last season.
In preparation for the rigors of their spring schedule, the Waves are signed up for a number of matches this fall. The most important will most like be ITA Omni Regionals, which will be held in Carson, Calif. this October.
“It will be a big test for us, but we’re really excited about it,” Steinberg said. “It’s really our opportunity to make a statement to the rest of the country that we want to contend for a national title.”
September 25, 2003