Wednesday, 5/21/97 Bulldogging his way to the top No. 1 player
from Mississippi State aims for first NCAA title
By Vytas Mazeika Daily Bruin Staff Thomas Dupre does not strike
you as a dominant tennis player. His height is merely an average
5-feet 9-inches and his personality is rather friendly and laid
back. But when he gets on a tennis court you notice a sudden
change. Out of the 64 men’s tennis singles players eligible to win
the individual title, only one can claim to be the best before the
champion is crowned. And Dupre, Mississippi State’s No. 1 player,
has been the top-ranked collegiate player since December. Starting
today he will begin a trek toward his first NCAA title, trying to
relieve some of the frustration from his team’s second-round loss
to Georgia. Dupre was 29-2 overall in singles during the 1996-97
campaign and won another match in Mississippi State’s first-round
contest against Florida. Even though he is coming off an injury
that has bothered him for the past couple of weeks, he has looked
dominant with his blistering ground strokes and sneaky serve. Dupre
knows that now is not the time to let down. "I’ll be ready (for the
singles matches)," Dupre said, "because it is going to be a great
tournament and everybody wants to win it, and I want to win it
too." The Frenchman is both fearless and relentless. He storms from
side to side, hitting tremendous cross-court backhands and
overpowering down-the-line forehands. He is built like a truck and
his compact 145 pounds do not emphasize enough the strength he
possesses. With his stamina and determination he is able to defeat
most of his opponents in a battle of attrition. "My strategy is to
make the guy run as much as possible and when he is tired, I know
I’m going to win the match," Dupre declared. Dupre is one of three
players from France on Mississippi State’s team. He came from
Normandy just three years ago, and after a 33-13 record for the
1995-96 season, he has finally caught the tennis community’s entire
attention. Teammate and roommate Matthieu Ballay, who is the No. 2
player for the Bulldogs and was born in Paris, has witnessed
Dupre’s development into a top-caliber player and after continuous
practices between the two all season, knows just what Dupre is
capable of. "Since last spring he has improved so much," Ballay
said. "He is very tough now. He is very consistent, very endurant.
He is moving fast and he is very strong mentally. And he is getting
much better as the year goes on. "He was a great leader (during the
season). He helped the team. To know that Thomas would win probably
most of the time … was a very big factor for us." Dupre prides
himself on his team’s competitive spirit. For him, the rankings
come second while the team’s results are of utmost importance. The
loss to Georgia in the battle of the Bulldogs on Sunday was
crushing to him. But for Dupre there is always a light at the end
of the tunnel. "I was pretty disappointed (after our team’s loss),
but I think we played our best match of the year," Dupre said. "I
don’t have any regrets and my teammates don’t have any regrets
either. That is life." Dupre has had a couple of days to regroup
his thoughts and prepare for the singles competition. Now that he
is in focus, his opponents have a lot more to fear. His first-round
opponent in the team tournament, Florida’s Justin O’Neal, never
really stood a chance, especially with his game a little off. Dupre
made quick work of him en route to a first-round victory for the
Bulldogs. O’Neal, whose loss on Saturday was his second to Dupre
this season, knows that unless one is at the top of their game,
Dupre will come out victorious. "I think it all comes down to
executing against him," O’Neal commented after his loss. "You’re
going to get a couple of opportunities. Not that many, but the ones
that you do get you have to take advantage of … I wish I could
elaborate on some negatives (about Dupre’s game), but there (are)
really not too many. He gets to every ball. He hits it deep and
that is his game. There is really not too much you do against him."
Even though Dupre is a great tennis player and in the top echelon
of men’s collegiate tennis, he does have one weakness – his net
game. Dupre has not quite mastered the volleys and touch-game that
help make a great tennis player. He still constantly has doubts
about his decision-making abilities in the doubles game and often
manages to get confused. Nevertheless, he strives to improve in
doubles in order to enjoy more success as a team rather than as an
individual. "I have a lot to work on," Dupre pointed out. "On the
volley I can do a lot of improvement … I think I’m getting better
at doubles, but I still miss a lot of confidence … Last year I
was really bad (in doubles). This year I think I’m just bad." Dupre
will take the fall semester off and play in a few tournaments as an
amateur for the first time. He talks about how he hopes he will do
well, but mentions how the temptation to join the professional tour
for good is not overwhelming at this time. With improvements still
necessary in his game, Dupre will forego the chance to turn pro and
will return one last time next spring to help his Mississippi State
Bulldogs win a national championship. But before thoughts about
next season begin to fill Dupre’s head, he has one last goal to
accomplish. He must live up to his No. 1 ranking and claim the 1997
NCAA singles title this weekend. PATRICK LAM/Daily Bruin After his
team’s second-round loss to Georgia, Mississippi State’s Thomas
Dupre is set to defend his No. 1 ranking and capture his first NCAA
title in the individual singles tournament starting today.