Athlete of the Week

Ryan Murphy, SY '05, may not like watching tennis, but he inspires others to like it by his performance on the courts. This freshman has been proving himself on tennis courts around the country, showing just exactly why he was ranked in the top 40 in the nation during his high school years.

MAC CAPLAN/YH Ryan Murphy, SY '05 Men's Tennis Hometown: Linwood, N.J. Major: Economics Favorite movie: The Shawshank Redemption Favorite color: Green Favorite food: Steak Favorite sport to watch: College Football

Tennis has always been a part of Murphy's life. He first grabbed a racket at age six and has known since elementary school that he wanted to play tennis at the collegiate level. However, he did not anticipate the throng of colleges vying for his attention when it was time to fulfill his collegiate dreams. Thankfully, Murphy chose Yale from a host of schools that tried to woo him, and it appears he found a perfect fit for his talent.

Currently, Murphy starts as the No. 4 player on the team. Last weekend, he competed at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Regional Championships in Princeton, where he was seeded 13th. En route to reaching the third round in the singles draw, he defeated Duquesne's David Brady '03 in a tough three-set match before losing in straight sets to eventual champion Saber Kadiri of Dartmouth. Despite a solid performance at the ITA, the tournament was not his best this year.

Before arriving at the ITA, Murphy won the B flight (second tier) at Cornell by beating the No. 3 player for Army, the No. 2 player for Cornell, and a host of other opponents. At the Yale Invitational, he won the A-flight by beating the No. 1 singles players from Cornell, Dartmouth, and UConn. He also went 3-1 at ECACs, winning the deciding match against Harvard—a team the Bulldogs had not beaten at home in 17 years.

Murphy's incredible rookie season comes as no surprise. In high school, he was a two-time All-American, three-time captain of his team and the number-one high-school tennis player in Texas. In addition to his role on the high school team, Murphy traveled year-round to compete in national tournaments, balancing rigorous practice schedules with academics.

While he has had a fantastic season, he always shows deference to the other men on his team. He appreciates the opportunity to compete with teammates like collegiate All-American Steve Berke, MC '02. When asked about how difficult it is to miss school for tennis, or to start freshman year off practicing 18 hours a week, Murphy said, "I'm used to it. It's what I've always done, and it's just about managing my time."

His favorite tennis memory is from high school, when he competed at the Junior Davis Cup. The cup brought together the top five players in each Texas district to compete in a team tournament. Murphy, the top player in his district, led his team to victory. As great as that memory is, though, it is clear that Murphy has many more "favorite tennis matches" to come during his time at Yale.

If you don't like to watch tennis, just try watching this player; you won't be able to look away.

—Katie Cole

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