Dina Hegab’s frustrated facial expressions and body language boiled over to the tennis court. She swung her racket up in disgust after a return from her opponent grazed the netting and slipped past her. Hegab won her first set, 6-3, and had gone up 2-0 in the second before Virginia Tech’s Katherine Butler tied it. Hegab knew the gravity of her game.

No. 32 Syracuse (13-7, 7-7 Atlantic Coast) was up 1-0 and had already won two out of three doubles matches against No. 30 Virginia Tech (14-9, 7-7 Atlantic Coast) when Butler made a comeback. But Hegab gritted it out and led the Orange to an eventual win, 5-2, in Drumlins Tennis Center and helped recover from Friday’s loss to No. 7 Miami.

In doubles, Anna Shkudun and Hegab played aggressively and earned a quick, 6-2 win.

“…We played one of our best matches today and we were so confident from the beginning of the game,” said Shkudun. “We tried to play really active and finish (through on our returns). That was the key (to the game).”

Hegab said that despite her doubles’ win, she felt nervous from the start of singles.

She’s also repeatedly said she’s struggled throughout the year that staying focused for a whole match and letting the game come to her. With mounting pressure to win the first singles point for her team, Hegab rested and listened as head coach Younes Limam gave instructions.

“A lot of it is her mindset,” said Limam. “… I just tried to remind her to stay positive and keep finding ways (to win). At this time of the year, (the coaches) try to remind each player of their strengths and what they do well.”

Hegab is known for her high-powered forehand, but has also improved her backhand and conditioning in the last few weeks. It was the latter two things which helped turn the match in her favor.

After speaking with Limam, Hegab regained her composure and hit shot after shot past Butler. Hegab pulled through with a 6-3 win in the second set of her game.

“I was playing my best game (after calming down),” said Hegab. “… I needed to keep doing what I was doing (in the first set) and not change anything.”

Syracuse tied the match at two after Hegab’s win and kick-started a run in which the Orange took the final three games. That led to the 5-2 win, which carries SU into the ACC tournament on a positive note that seemed impossible during the team’s winless month of March.

Now, in the last few weeks, Syracuse has beaten two top 30 teams and won five of its last six.

“We, as a team, are confident because of what we have accomplished in the last couple of weeks,” said Hegab. “I am confident because I improved my game.”

Published on April 17, 2016 at 6:16 pm

Contact Jake: jafalk@syr.edu