The Iowa men’s tennis team may have found a mainstay in its doubles lineup with the emergence of Nils Hallestrand.
By Blake Dowson
One of the biggest highlights for the Iowa men’s tennis team during the Big Ten Men’s Championships in Iowa City this past weekend was the play of junior Nils Hallestrand.
Hallestrand, a native of Sweden, has not regularly been in the starting lineup during his two years as a Hawkeye.
However, that may very well change after his performance this fall.
“This whole fall, he’s proven that he needs to get a shot in the starting lineup in doubles,” head coach Ross Wilson said. “That’s something different than what’s happened in the previous two seasons with him. We’re happy to see that.”
Hallestrand and partner freshman Jonas Larsen were arguably the best doubles duo for the Hawkeyes this past weekend, picking up two wins and qualifying for the quarterfinals.
The 6-5 Swede poses a lot of problems for opponents with his length at the net. Any ball hit relatively close to him will more than likely be put away by the junior. That, combined with Larsen’s quickness and forehand from the baseline, creates a formidable team.
“Nils is a big guy and therefore a great guy to have at the net and serving so I get the easy volleys,” Larsen said. “Nils understands the doubles play really well.”
Hallestrand has also acted as a calming presence for Larsen during their matches.
The freshman plays with a lot of passion, something to look for in a player, but he needs to be reeled back in every once in a while.
“He fits with me really well when I sometimes get too fired up,” Larsen said. “He tells me to calm down, and I need that sometimes.”
Hallestrand, who played sparingly last spring, believes he performed well enough this fall to break into the doubles lineup.
It would be tough to find anyone watching in the crowd this weekend who disagrees with that.
“I think I played well enough,” Hallestrand said. “Credit to Jonas there, too. I’ve done better in doubles this fall, I would say. I feel like I have the capability of playing some good singles, too. We’ll see how it all shakes out in the spring.”
The junior certainly did not play badly in the singles bracket this weekend, narrowly getting knocked out in the opening round in a three-set marathon match against Stefan Lugonjic of Indiana, then earning a straight set 6-1, 6-4 victory in his consolation match.
But it’s his length and awareness at the net during doubles play that has Wilson thinking that he and Larsen can do special things this spring.
“I think we’ve found a good partnership with him and Jonas,” Wilson said. “They complement each other really well with both their attitudes and their games. I think Jonas plays really well from the back, he plays with a lot of topspin and gets good depth on his shots, and when his opponent leaves a shot in the middle of the court, Nils is able to use his volleys, which is his strength.”
