University of Virginia Library

Tennis Team Goes Under New Coach

By FLETCHER THOMPSON

A new coach, experience,
and improved competition
combine to make this year's
edition of the varsity tennis
squad one of the most
remarkable in the school's
history.

The coach is Jim Stephens,
also known as soccer mentor
and erstwhile coach.
Stephens, who engineered a
trade with last year's coach
Gordon Burris over the
summer, inherits the fruits of
Burris' three-year labor. Last
year's squad rang up a 15-5
record with a lineup composed
primarily of underclassmen.

Stephens is no stranger to
the Cavalier net team, as he
captained the 1966 and '67
squads.

Since Burris' team had only
one senior, Stephens will be
sending a host of veterans out
on the court to terrorize a
seemingly endless list of
opponents. Only Doug
Waterman, a steady performer
at number one singles won't be
around for the fun.

Waterman's heir will come
from a quartet of seasoned
stars, all of whom compiled
lopsided records. Vying for the
spot are Jime Ratliff, Rick
Swift, Hoyt Murray, and Frank
Hatten.

Ratliff, a third-year man
from Connecticut, put together
a 17-8 ledger at number two
singles while classmate Swift
bettered him, finishing 20-7 in
the third position.

Second-year man Murray
may will be the favorite in the
battle for squad supremacy,
however. The only Cav to win
his flight in the ACC last year
and the State's Class B titlist,
Murray looks like he could be
ready for a big leap up from his
number four position.

Supporting cast for this
nucleus will consist of
second-year flash Don Napier,
Frank Spratlin, primarily a
doubles man last year, and Pete
Adolph, who filled in ably on
occasion in '72.

Napier appears to be the
best of this group as the
red-haired Texan was 18-2 and
second in the conference at
fifth singles as a first-year man.

At present, the three
doubles combinations are
anybody's guess and once set
may be subject to change at
any time. Burris made a
mid-season switch last year and
came up with a line-up of
Napier-Spratlin, Swift-Ratliff
and Murray-Hatten.

Despite this plethora of
talent, the netmen will still
face a considerable struggle to
get to the top of the ACC.
1972 titlist North Carolina
returns a swarm of league
champions and is the odds-on
favorite to stroke its way to
another crown.

Leading the Tar Heels is
conference king Fred McNair.
The Bethesda, Md. product is
currently rated among the top
30 players in the country,
something that will give his
opponents a lot of food for
through.

Wake Forest, which nosed
out the Cavs for the second
spot in the ACC tourney on
the Perry Memorial Courts,
also vows to give the Heels a
run for the title.

Maryland's Terrapins,
patsies a year ago, will be
drawing a lot of attention this
spring. In a week, the Terps
will be strengthened by the
addition of John Lucas, now
famous as one of Lefty
Driesell's basketballers. Many
observers feel that Lucas, who
has not played an
intercollegiate match, may well
be one of the top ten college
netmen in the country.