Everything seemed new for Dina Hegab. She arrived at Syracuse from Egypt in January and her adjustment has been smooth.

Almost 6,000 miles away from home, Hegab has had to acclimate to college classes, meet new friends and compete in Division I tennis.

But the freshman has also had to transition from the red clay courts she’s played on all her life to the hard courts that are dominant in the United States. And just past the midway point in the season, she’s made the transition seamlessly, budding as one of No. 24 Syracuse’s (8-3, 2-3 Atlantic Coast) most consistent players with an 8-2 singles record thus far.

In Hegab’s first match at SU, she posted a 6-4, 6-3 win. She didn’t have her best game, but she won handily in back-to-back sets. It was the first of eight consecutive matches she’d win to start the season.

“After that, getting that first win under her belt,” head coach Younes Limam said, “she just relaxed and started trusting her shots more. It didn’t take her a very long time to adjust, honestly.”

Unlike most sports, the surface in tennis significantly influences style of play. Clay courts, made of densely packed crushed brick, play slower than hard courts, which means balls bounce higher and travel at slower speeds on clay courts. This makes it more difficult to deliver an unreturnable shot, so clay courts tend to facilitate longer rallies. So-called “clay-courters,” or those who play on clay-courts, typically sit a few meters behind the baseline and play through the rallies.

“It’s a combination of little things,” Limam said of shifting from clay to hard courts. “Part of it is playing a little bit closer to the baseline, having that mindset of being aggressive and being the person who dictates play.”

In Egypt, Hegab played behind the baseline in what is considered a more conservative, defensive style. At Syracuse, she must remind herself during matches to creep up toward the baseline. Hegab and Limam continue to “work a ton” on court positioning.

Team conditioning has made Hegab quicker and more agile, traits that can separate hard court players. In Egypt, she’d sometimes slide on the clay to hit a ball and rise back to her feet in one continuous motion. On hard courts, however, she can’t slide without severely scraping her skin. Instead she runs in quick bursts, then plants when changing direction.

“When I first came, I was a little bit worried to get an ankle sprain or something,” Hegab said. “But I was just careful. It takes time to not slide, but now I’m fine.”

 

Eddie Natal | Staff Photographer

 

At one point in a 6-1, 6-2 win against Boston College last month, Hegab fired six backhands in a row. The point grew into a long rally akin to a typical point on clay courts, but after more than 10 full seconds, Hegab spun and smacked a forehand winner by Heini Salonen.

Back home, she may have settled and continued the rally with another backhand. Her risky shot that landed just a foot or two from the sideline highlights how she’s acclimated to the new surface.

Like Hegab, Limam grew up playing on clay courts in Africa and appreciates Hegab’s plight as well as anybody. He was a member of the Moroccan Junior National Team from 1994 to 1998, when he played on clay courts. Then, from 2000-2003, he tallied 87 wins at Drury University, on hard courts.

“It could be a little bit challenging,” Limam said. “Just the conditions, like how slower or faster the courts are. There are a lot of elements. The ball could be a little bit heavier, the court could be a little faster.”

Hegab estimates it took about two weeks to get comfortable with the new surface. At first, she played “tight.” Although she dropped her first two singles matches of the season last weekend, she is improving her “feel” for the new surface.

“She’s very coachable and very smart on the court,” Limam said. “It’s a process and she’s going in the right direction. I think college tennis is only going to help her transition into a higher level after that.”

Published on March 8, 2016 at 11:15 pm

Contact Matthew: mguti100@syr.edu | @MatthewGut21