Sometimes, all it takes is a little perspective.
In his final season donning purple and gold, senior tennis player Stefan Szacinski decided he didn’t want to lose anymore.
“This is probably my last hurrah as a tennis player,” Szacinski said. “So why not make the most of it?”
That’s exactly what he’s done, as Szacinski hasn’t lost a singles match since March 3 against then-No. 6 Kentucky. Since then, he has ripped off 10 wins without losing and takes his hot play into the Southeastern Conference Tournament on Thursday.
Szacinski said small adjustments in his game have allowed him to have this dominating run.
“Tennis is a game of rhythm, and as a player, you try to get comfortable,” Szacinski said. “I’ve been able to keep my opponents from getting comfortable.”
Szacinski has used a wide variety of shots to get his opponents out of their comfort zones. By changing speeds, spin and height of his shots, Szacinski keeps his opponent moving all over the court during a match.
“He’s been much more consistent,” said fellow senior Mark Bowtell. “He’s constantly applying pressure to his opponent, he returns really well, and his serve is very good, so he never gives the other player a break.”
Szacinski’s streak is even more impressive given his struggles with fitness throughout his career.
The Australian native suffers from posterior lateral instability in both knees. The condition, which he was born with, places added stress on the lateral portions of his knees.
“In tennis, you’re moving laterally pretty much all the time,” said LSU trainer Paul Porter. “It’s a lot of quick, explosive movements, which doesn’t lend itself to Szacinski’s condition.”
Szacinski also suffers from a condition called genu recurvatum, which is a natural hyperextension of the knee.
Porter said the genu recurvatum, along with the structural deficiency present in Szacinski’s knee, leads to an incredible amount of stress being placed on the lateral and posterior portions of Szacinski’s knee.
“The stress leads to a sensation of instability,” Porter said. “As the match progresses and his body becomes fatigued, his knee will feel as if it is unstable and on the verge of giving out.
Szacinski plays every match with both knees taped, and at practice Tuesday he sported a mechanical knee brace after suffering a setback in his last match.
LSU coach Jeff Brown said the winning streak has surprised him, given the problems Szacinski has experienced throughout his career.
According to Szacinski, the condition has played a role in his improvement, though.
Szacinski said the knee issues motivated him to play a smarter brand of tennis, which led to the increased variety of shots.
Szacinski hasn’t been taking advantage of weaker competition, either. During this streak, Szacinski has beaten five nationally ranked opponents while playing on court two in the tough SEC. SEC teams hold 11 of the top 25 slots in the ITA rankings.
“He’s doing this at a higher level,” Brown said. “Playing on court two in the SEC and winning isn’t easy.”
Brown described Szacinski as a grinder and one of the hardest- working players on the team.
“He’s always been a guy who brought his hard hat and lunch pail to work,” Brown said. “Always practices as hard as he could, but he didn’t always get the results that he wanted. So to see him break through like this is good.”
