Emily Harman didn’t stay off the court for long.

She took advantage of Syracuse’s extended break to play in the Family Circle Cup this week, a professional tournament in Charleston, S.C. The rest of the team is following her lead. Not necessarily by competing, but by training hard and staying focused for the late-season push.

Fitness is stressed now more than ever, and this week’s practices reflect it.

‘Fitness is first and foremost a huge part of our success,’ Harman said. ‘The faster you are, the more balls you get to. You have the upper hand in balance and a better chance at winning points.’

Syracuse has this weekend off, and only two remaining matches before the Big East tournament in Tampa, Fla. Winning the tournament would give the Orange an automatic berth in the NCAA tournament. Syracuse (12-4, 5-1 Big East) is ranked No. 56 in the nation and could earn an at-large bid, but winning the conference tournament would erase all doubt.

The Big East tournament is played outdoors, and Tampa has seen temperatures in the 80s in recent weeks, with 85 percent humidity. After playing indoors all season, Syracuse needs to make sure it’s physically prepared for the climate change on the court, head coach Luke Jensen said.

‘It’s vital to come out with a physical approach,’ Jensen said. ‘We need to combine endurance with good tennis. If we fall short, it will fall on me, and I won’t let that happen.’

So Jensen has slightly modified the team’s practice routine this week. Fitness components are now mixed together with the tennis aspects to build endurance and prepare the team for the intensity of the hot Florida sun.

Freshman Amanda Rodgers has tried to focus on fitness as a way to stay disciplined throughout the season, but has done so even more now. The Orange knows that success in Tampa will depend largely on the ability to outlast the opponent, Rodgers said.

‘In practice we’ve been rotating, going drills, sprints, drills, footwork,’ Rodgers said. ‘We’re focused on the physical aspect, knowing that it’s going to be 90 degrees outside. Trying to stay fit, we’re doing all that we can take.’

Winning the Big East tournament will require the team to win four matches in four days. The Orange hasn’t played more than two matches during any weekend this season.

SU needs to find a balance between pushing too hard and taking too much time to rest. As a former Grand Slam doubles champion, Jensen uses his knowledge and experience to help the team find that balance.

‘It’s been a tough week of practice,’ Jensen said. ‘We’ll start tapering them down slowly, without pushing them to a breaking point. We’ll make sure everyone’s on task.’

The Orange has breezed through its schedule of late, winning three straight matches 7-0. During this streak, the team won 16-of-18 singles matches in straight sets.

Matching that type of success in the Big East tournament will be a challenge because the level of competition will be elevated. Three-set matches will be expected, making physical preparations even more critical, Harman said.

‘In a three-set match, you have to last longer and stay fresh,’ Harman said. ‘When you see the opponent huffing and puffing, you need to be set and ready to go.’

Jensen feels the Orange is squarely on the NCAA bubble and that it can’t afford to slip up in the rest of the regular season. Considering that the team has dropped from No. 39 to No. 52 in the national rankings in the last month, despite not losing a match, the margin for error is slim.

To avoid a letdown and keep tournament hopes alive, the team must continue to use practice as a way to build stamina for competition, Jensen said.

‘We’re working hard without pushing ourselves past the point of no return,’ Harman said. ‘The freshmen have adapted and stepped up, and the team as a whole can push each other. We look at the schedule, and we want to make sure we’re playing our best tennis come tournament time.’

kmprisei@syr.edu

Published on April 3, 2012 at 12:00 pm

Contact Kevin: kmprisei@syr.edu