Newspaper Page Text
Page 6 • The Red and Black/Courtaide • Thursdauy, May 14, 1992
For San Diego’s Noriega, 1992
By ANGELA HORNSBY
Staff Writer
Tennis has been easy for the University of San
Diego's Jose-Luis Noriega, until now.
The Peruvian-born player, considered one of the
top collegiate tennis players in the country, has yet
to advance past the quarterfinals of the NCAA
Men’s Tennis Championships.
This is Noriega’s fourth appearance in the
NCAAs. He reached Round 16 in 1989 and the quar
terfinals in 1990 and ‘91, where he was defeated 3-6,
6-3, 6-4 by eventual singles champion Jared Palmer
of Stanford.
Ranked No. 2 in the country by Volvo, Noriega,
22, said he doesn’t feel particularly pressured com
ing into this year’s tourney.
“This is a special tournament,” he said. “There’s a
lot of pressure when you come in ranked. When you
play other players not seeded, they play really good.
“I’m not putting any pressure on myself,” he said.
“I’m developing my game. All I can do is play the
best I can.”
Noriega, who his friends affectionately call Tato,’
captured his first Davis Cup doubles titles during
the 1990-91 season. And despite injuries, including
tendinitis of the knee, he ended the season on an
upnote with nine consecutive wins, including the
West Coast Conference singles.
He said playing in the Davis Cup helped his men
tal concentration . “I definitely think the Cup is a lot
different," he said. “If you can handle pressure
there, I’m sure you can handle it anywhere else.”
This season's accomplishments included reaching
the finals of the National Clay Courts
Championships and winning the San Diego
Intercollegiates. Noriega also won the Rolex
National Indoor Intercollegiate championships but
was then sidelined at the end of March with tendini
tis of the rotator cuff.
“Since my shoulder injury, I haven’t played in the
last month. I’ve been doing therapy, ’ he said.
But the injury hasn’t slowed his routine any, ac
cording to San Diego head coach Ed Collins.
Noriega has early workouts in the mornings and
plays sets with team players in the afternoon.
“He’s changed his service motion, and is working
daily to improve his technique," Collins said.
Noriega sees his biggest obstacles between him
self and a singles championship coming from play
ers David DiLucia of Notre Dame, Alex O’ Brien of
Stanford and the University of California’s Mark
Knowles.
A baseliner, Noriega’s strengths lie in his fore
hand and backhand shots. He said he’s coming to
the net more in preparation for the future.
“I want to play professionally for a couple of
years,” Noriega said.
A senior business major, he said he's been able to
successfully balance school and tennis, but seems
relieved not having to juggle the two much longer.
“I’m taking finals now, and not taking classes,” he
said. He adds laughingly, “It feels great.”
Noriega said his parents have not pressured him
to go in any one direction. “They never put any pres
sure on me,” he said. “They will actually be in
Georgia. They were there in my freshman year and
now they’ll be there again when I finish."
Though equipped with an impressive grand slam
college record of 30-9, best among active college
players, he modestly admits that the pros may not
be a sure thing.
“If things don’t work out, my business major will
be more important,” he said.
Noriega said he has enjoyed his years at the
NCAA championships, especially those held in
Athens.
“You can’t compare it (tournament) to Georgia,”
he said. ‘As a sophomore, I played in Palm Springs.
There was a lot of cramping up by the players and
the weather was just not right.”
Athen’s Henry Feild Stadium, in contrast, offers
is last chance
Jose Noriega of the University of San Diego,
a more pleasing atmosphere. “There are a lot of peo
ple that support Georgia,” he said. “That’s what col
lege tennis is all about.”
Commitment drives Notre Dame’s Dilucia to No. 1
By ERIK SCHMIDT
Staff Writer
At age nine, most boys are
emulating their major league heroes
on backyard wiffleball fields across
America.
But just outside of Philadelphia,
Pa., there was at least one youngster
who substituted a paved hardcourt for
a grassy diamond.
And for Notre Dame’s David
Dilucia, this mild nonconformity defi
nitely paid off.
Dilucia, the No. 1 tennis player in
the country, is a two-time All-
American with a list of credentials
longer than Andre Agassi's hair.
As a teenager, Dilucia played in the
semifinals of the junior U.S. Open,
teamed with U.S. Open singles cham
pion Pete Sampras on the junior Davis
Cup team and reached the third round
of the Italian Open in the summer of
1988.
But instead of turning pro as most
young men would’ve done, Dilucia
again went against the grain.
“David’s the first player I tried to
recruit,” said Fighting Irish coach Bob
Bayliss. “I sold him on the challenge of
going to a non-established tennis
school so he could be the first great
player out of Notre Dame.”
“I think it was a combination of the
athletics and academics,” said Dilucia
w
David DiLucia of Notre Dame.
on his college decision. “They really
weren’t noted for tennis, but they
made a commitment for it."
And commitment has always been
No. 1 for Dilucia.
Taking up the sport at age five on a
court built in the backyard of his par
ents’ home in Norristown, Dilucia was
a natural. Four years later he was un
der the supervision of a local coach,
and soon after fell under the control of
his first serious instructor Nick
Saviano.
Together with a gentleman named
Rodney Harmon, the two molded
Dilucia into a tremendous netting
power.
“His biggest strength is he has no
weakness,” said Bayliss.
“But he’s probably at his best when
he attacks.
“When you can walk into a match
and know that you’ve already got one
win, it makes it a little easier.”
With Dilucia at No. 1 singles this
season, that slot has truly been an au
tomatic for the Irish.
Undefeated in dual match play,
Dilucia has suffered only three losses
this season, all coming in tournament
competition.
One of those defeats came during a
clay court tournament in which
Dilucia competed with a hamstring in
jury.
But aside from that, he’s been near
ly unstoppable.
Losing only to players ranked in the
top 10 in singles, Dilucia has also com
peted against the creme dela crem of
the doubles crop. Teamed with Chuck
Coleman, the duo is currently ranked
fourth in the nation.
“What people don’t know is he’s re
ally our spiritual leader,” said Bayliss.
“He yells at people and urges them on.
“He embarrasses you to work hard
er. By his sheer example he gets other
people to play better.”
But it was not until this season that
Dilucia was named the consensus best
in the country.
Ending his junior season with a 46-7
slate and a No. 5 ranking, Dilucia was
named the Male Athlete of the Year at
Notre Dame, beating out Heismann
Trophy winner Raghib Ismael and bas
ketball star Laphonso Ellis.
“Last year and especially this year,
I’ve hung around the top five," said
Dilucia, who was ranked No. 1 for the
first time in April.
“The pressure at No. 2 or No. 3 isn’t
much different. On any given day, any
one in the top five could beat anyone
else.”
Dilucia was ousted in the round of
16 in the NCAA individual toumamjnt
last year, falling to Luis Noriega from
the University of San Diego State.
“I think the biggest thing is to focus
on one thing at a time,” Dilucia said.
“Everyone is gunning for you, so you
have to take it and build for the next
match.”