Amanda Rodgers felt confident as she walked onto the court for her first collegiate tennis match. Although Syracuse was playing on the road in Tampa, Fla., she felt at home. Technically, she had more of a home-court advantage than her South Florida opponents.

Rodgers made her collegiate debut against USF just miles away from where she grew up. Her parents and stepsister were on hand to watch her 6-4, 7-5 singles match victory.

‘It was definitely a fun experience,’ Rodgers said. ‘There was a lot of competition, which was good, and I just can’t wait to play them again.’

Rodgers is one of five freshmen on Luke Jensen’s nine-player roster. Although the group is inexperienced on the college level, the head coach said it has exceeded his expectations so far, and he is pleased with the newcomers’ play. The left-handed Rodgers is at the head of the group, excelling on the court to help lead a young team that has risen up the rankings.

Alternating mostly between the No. 5 and No. 6 singles position, Rodgers has impressed. She is 11-1, with wins at then-No. 55 Boston College and then-No. 60 Harvard, and she has won a staggering 23 of the 26 sets she has played. But the success hasn’t yet carried over to doubles, where she is 4-5.

Rodgers’ talents have evolved in the last two years with the instruction of former Association of Tennis Professionals World Tour player Ellis Ferreira. Ferreira, a lefty himself, taught her how to take advantage of her left-handed shot.

When Ferreira first saw Rodgers at a tournament in St. Petersburg, Fla., she impressed him immediately.

‘She was a really nice player, but she wasn’t using her greatest strength, which is her left-handedness,’ Ferreira said. ‘She wasn’t slicing her serve into the body or out wide, and she wasn’t hitting her forehands cross-court to the other girls’ backhands.’

Rodgers has also learned a pivotal shot in the arsenal of left-handers: the tail spin, which is the way the ball rotates in different directions after it hits the ground. Before working with Ferreira, Rodgers’ shots would stay straight.

‘I remember when I first asked her, ‘Can you hit it with a tail?’ and she didn’t know what that meant,’ Ferreira said. ‘It was pretty remarkable that a left-hander didn’t know what a tail was.’

Ferreira said her growth in these areas is the reason why she’s at Syracuse.

Rodgers and Ferreira competed to earn a spot in the U.S. Open Mixed Doubles competition earlier this year. The mentor and mentee didn’t drop a set in the Florida sectional qualifier and ultimately reached the semifinals of the National Playoffs.

Ferreira’s teaching was supplemented by John Eagleton, his own personal coach. Eagleton taught Rodgers the technical skills he said are used more by South American players, including how to use body rotation to increase power and how to lead with the front foot. He said this has enhanced her cross-court game.

‘I started working with her two summers ago,’ Eagleton said. ‘And she has finally found herself an identity.’

Rodgers attended Saddlebrook Preparatory School in Tampa, which didn’t have enough girls to field a team. Instead, she gained recognition by competing in amateur tournaments, ranking as high as the top 10 in the country in her age group. She has also competed in about 10 professional tournaments, making the main draw in four of them.

Jensen learned of the 5-foot-11 Rodgers through Ferreira, a friend of his from their days on the ATP tour. The recruitment was easy and Rodgers never looked into any other school.

Though Rodgers began her college career in a familiar setting, she has adapted to her new home in Syracuse. In April she will compete in the Big East championships, which just so happens to be back where the season began.

Back home in Tampa.

And success in the place where her tennis career began will only help Rodgers reach her ultimate goal.

‘Coach Luke Jensen and coach (Shelley) George are the two best college coaches in the country,’ Rodgers said. ‘They can take me to the pro level, and that’s where I want to go.’

jmhyber@syr.edu

Published on February 29, 2012 at 12:00 pm

Contact Josh: jmhyber@syr.edu