Rhiann Newborn has noticed problems with the return game on her side of the net in recent doubles matches that she’s played. She said it was a big issue in her doubles match with Breanna Bachini against Clemson on March 22.

For Newborn, they were the worst they had been in a while.

“If we could’ve got that return in more,” Newborn said, “the game would’ve been totally different.”

She also said that missed serves and double faults were also obstacles for her and Bachini in that match.

These issues are only partly the cause of what has been an extensive slump for Syracuse (7-9, 2-8 Atlantic Coast) in doubles play, as it has only won two doubles points in its 10 matches since February 14.

Senior Komal Safdar said one of the challenges for SU is returning against the impressive serves of ACC players. She said good returns are one characteristic of a strong doubles team, but standing across the court from a strong server makes that more difficult.

And a poor return game can be costly when it leads to unforced errors, as has recently been the case for Newborn and Bachini when they’ve played together this season.

“We just give up too many free points,” Newborn said. “That’s all.”

The recent problems in Newborn’s return game have been a result of flat-footedness and a lack of sufficient movement on the court. She said the team can handle the tough serves of the ACC as long as they move their feet.

But better doubles play won’t come only from an improved return game. She said ideal doubles play features aggressive action with movement toward the net, but that too many mistakes during baseline rallies have denied her and Bachini the opportunities to improve this.

Safdar also said it’s more difficult to win points when the opponent is at the net.

“It puts a lot of pressure on you,” Safdar said, “because if you don’t do enough with the ball then the person at the net will just take it and rip it back at you guys, whether you’re at the net or back.”

Head coach Younes Limam said part of the issue is in the team’s mental game.

In big points, he said, his players sometimes seem to doubt themselves and fail to commit to their strategies.

Safdar said that the team has put up a good fight in many of its doubles matches, but that she has observed similar issues at some crucial moments in matches.

“It’s just really a matter of one or two points, so I wouldn’t say that being in the ACC that we’re behind at all in doubles,” Safdar said. “I just think that we need to execute on the pressure points.”

SU has been emphasizing doubles play in practice recently, trying to improve both its returns and serves. Limam said both are important elements in doubles, as a strong serve allows a pair to play more offensively during the point and a successful return makes things more difficult for the opponent.

Limam said he has noticed that the team’s doubles play is getting better, citing Newborn and Bachini as an example.

And it comes at a good time for the Orange. The team’s last four matches are against teams in the bottom-half of the ACC standings, just as SU is.

But Limam thinks that the team needs to focus on working on the things that are in its own hands.

“What we can control is just going back and working hard day in and day out,” Limam said “and trying to get better in the areas that we need a little bit of improvement.”

Published on April 1, 2015 at 9:43 pm

Contact Kevin: kjpacell@syr.edu