Vandecasteele, a rising junior for the Ducks, is off to an exceptional summer of results at professional events in Southern California. He began play with a win Wednesday at an International Tennis Federation tournament in Lakewood, Calif., looking for his third straight finals appearance in four tournaments overall.
After going 14-7 this past spring for the Ducks, primarily in the No. 2 singles position. the Utah native is validating UO coach Nils Schyllander‘s expectation that Vandecasteele will be able to replace departed senior Josh Charlton atop Oregon’s lineup in 2023-24.
“He’s going to play No. 1 for us, and by competing against this level of players and beating them soundly, it sets a great foundation for next season, confidence-wise,” Schyllander said. “He’s not going to see somebody across the net that, he hasn’t beaten someone at that level already.”
Vandecasteele won qualifying matches to advance in tournaments in Los Angeles in late June and in Irvine, Calif., this past weekend. In both cases, those were the first of four straights wins at each event, as Vandecasteele advanced all the way to the final of each tournament.
In both tournaments, Vandecasteele knocked off former Pac-12 player of the year from USC Stefan Dostanic. In Irvine, he beat a couple of elite incoming freshmen at major West Coast college programs, Hudson Rivera of Stanford and Edward Winter of Pepperdine.
The summer success is accruing points at the pro level that will give Vandecasteele a head start on his professional ranking once he’s done playing for the Ducks. And all those wins should allow him to hit the courts back in Eugene with confidence this fall.
“To do this consistently just creates that belief,” Schyllander said. “And we all know that’s half the battle in sports, no matter what sport.”
The foundation of Vandecasteele’s game is a powerful forehand, Schyllander said. This past season with the Ducks, he complemented that with an improved serve.
Schyllander and UO assistant coach Arron Spencer have worked with Vandecasteele to embrace his strengths, while honing other elements of his game. Each player has a unique development path, they believe, and they try to create an environment at Oregon that allows for maximum individual growth.
This summer in Los Angeles, Vandecasteele is demonstrating it.
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