“Vamos.”
At Massachusetts tennis contests, it’s a phrase bounced around frequently at singles or doubles matches involving Los Palmas, Spain native Ana Yrazusta.
Together, she and senior Carol Benito form the No. 1 doubles pairing for the Minutewomen, which came into the season facing lofty expectations having been ranked fourth in the final ITA Northeast Regional Rankings of the 2014-15 season.
If Yrazusta and Benito are nervous about their lofty ranking, it hasn’t showed so far this season. The pair has won four of five matches, with their lone loss together coming in the doubles championship match at the season-opening Brown Invitational two weekends ago.
In the matches that Yrazusta and Benito have competed in this season, the duo has looked strong, but it’s evident that they simply look to be enjoying the game.
Benito, a senior who is currently majoring in marketing, transferred to UMass after her sophomore year at the University of Tulsa, and burst onto the scene during the spring of her junior year.
With a record of 14-2-1 in singles completion and 15-2 in doubles, Benito made a strong impression on the rest of the Minutewomen.
Yrazusta is a sophomore from Spain, and the complicated background of the duo begs the question of how they manage to be so effective together.
“Ironically enough, it was one of those weird situations where everything played out perfectly,” UMass coach Judy Dixon said.
Yrazusta had never played doubles when she was originally paired with Benito, and did not feel too comfortable in the new setting. But Benito took her under her wing, according to Dixon, and taught her the intricacies of doubles play.
Adding to their relationship, Benito spent some time training in Spain, so the pair are able to communicate in Spanish on the court.
“We placed them together on the court once to experiment, and they were able to mesh perfectly. One plays lefty, the other plays right. Benito brings the graceful touch, while Yrazusta adds that powerful punch,” Dixon said.
The pair began training late last year and after accumulating some impressive wins, their confidence grew as the year went on.
They both play with passion, but it’s Yrazusta who more often outwardly expresses her emotions on the court. Dixon believes Benito’s maturity helps keep her counterpart in check during their matches.
“They both play with a lot of emotion, but (Benito) is able to keep the pair on an even keel,” Dixon said. “They’ve learned to play off of each other’s strength and it’s blossomed into a truly deadly combination.”
The pair has grown close on the court, often warming up with each other and cheering on with the rest of the squad during dual competitions.
Where this season will take the Minutewomen – who lost to Virginia Commonwealth in the Atlantic 10 finals last year – remains to be seen, but there is no doubt that the tandem of Yrazusta and Benito has found their stride.
Christopher Martinez can be reached at [email protected].
