Todd Paul Making Surprising Impact As A Freshman
3/25/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
March 25, 2004
Off the court, Todd Paul is a quiet student focused on the rigors of the Wake Forest curriculum. Put a tennis racket in his hand and an opponent on the other side of the net, and Paul has an alter ego quite the opposite. The freshman from Stamford, Conn., was expected to make some impact for Wake Forest's men's tennis team, but his impact has been greater that Coach Jeff Zinn imagined. His alter ego, as a result, has welcomed with open arms.
"I'm a little crazy on the court," Paul said. "I always scream and get into the match. I'm only loud on the court during the match, and after big points I'm louder than normal." But Zinn doesn't seem to mind Paul's on-court personality. In fact, it's what enticed him to recruit Paul to Wake Forest. He's an emotional player, and one will know how he is playing just by watching.
"I liked his demeanor on the court," Zinn said. "I thought he was very professional when he played. I watched him three times before we officially could contact him, and he just carried himself so well on the court. That's what I liked. He had a great weapon in his forehand and I knew that would just keep getting better and better. He's very muscular, strong, and has a power game."
Paul hinted in the fall that he might make the transition from the high school to the collegiate ranks more smoothly than most. He posted a 12-4 mark, earning more wins than any other Wake player during that period. With 22 singles victories, Paul still has more singles wins than any other player on the 2004 team, a pleasant surprise for Zinn, whose team is striving to be more consistent.
Even more unusual is that Paul has been successful despite his age. Born Dec. 26, 1985, he is a young freshman. When Zinn was recruiting him, he even thought he might have some recruiting edge if other coaches mistakenly thought Paul was a junior rather than a senior because of his late birthdate.
"He's actually a year younger (than most freshmen), and has a late birthday," Zinn said. "He started college when he was 17, so he is very mature beyond his years, that's for sure. He's just a talented player. There has been a big growth in his maturity level. I think his tennis level has gone up since his very first match in college. He just keeps getting better and better. But I still think there's an adjustment of the surroundings and the toughness of college tennis."
Building unwavering confidence is one facet of the adjustment. But confidence can be a double-edged sword. Too much confidence can lead players into thinking they can play beyond their abilities, too little can damage the competitive resolve needed in tough matches. Paul has seemed to find a comfortable middle ground. Ending with Wake Forest's victory over South Carolina on March 14, Paul has won six straight singles matches, and this spring he has won three, three-set matches while losing just one. Before this year, tight matches were not something to which Paul was accustomed. He said he was usually either way ahead on the winning side of a match, or far behind on the losing.
"I'm enjoying it right now," Paul said. "I don't know what it is, but I've won some close matches. It's been tight, but I've been able to pull them out. I usually never go three sets. This is new for me.
"The last match, (assistant coach) Shawn (Heinchon) said to just make him play and for me to play smart. This is something that develops over time, but they tell me to use my weapons, like my forehand. I've always had it (a good forehand), but just recently it has come into form. Partly that comes from getting stronger, but also me just looking for it more or trying to run around to hit it. But I have surprised myself, especially these last few matches. I didn't expect to have such a good start my freshman year so I'm trying to have fun with it."
Not taking tennis too seriously is good advice offered not only by Zinn and Heinchon but also Paul's mentor, James Blake. Blake is one of the United States' best young players, and is currently a top-40 player in the ATP rankings. Blake also hails from Connecticut, and Paul met him through Coach Brian Barker, who works with both Paul and Blake. The two have been hitting partners and Blake, who played at Harvard, offered simple advice to Paul as recently as December.
"I met James through Brian Barker, who coached me back home," Paul said. "As James started doing well, Brian started to go on tour. When James was in the area, I would hit with him sometimes. He's a real nice guy and I don't think he really minded me hitting with him. Then he would ask how college was going and gave me some advice. He just told me not to worry about it too much and to try to have fun."
There is no secret to his success. Paul is winning because of hard work, talent and a willingness to learn from each situation, each match. Zinn knows there's much more for Paul to learn, but it comes from experience and on an as-needed basis. Paul claims not to know where his tennis career will go from here but is pleased with what he has accomplished so far. Keeping it simple, using his weapons, and having fun have been solid advice from people who know.
Players Mentioned
