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Hemmeler Rocketing Into The Record Books
3/12/2015 9:05:00 AM | Men's Tennis
By Leslie Gaber, Duke Sports Information
When Duke men's tennis head coach Ramsey Smith saw film of a recruit hitting with Roger Federer a few years ago, he figured it warranted a closer look.
That recruit, now a senior for the Blue Devils, has gone on to form some of the program's top doubles tandems in recent history and etch his name in Duke's record books.
“As soon as I pressed play and saw a video of Federer so I knew he had to be the real deal,” Smith recalls. “Then I started researching a little more. I loved everything about him – unique player, extremely talented and gifted with his hands. Probably the best feel of any player I've worked with.”
Like Federer, Raphael Hemmeler hails from Switzerland. Hemmeler gained experience playing at International Tennis Federation (ITF) tournaments before arriving at Duke, where he had an immediate impact on the courts. As a rookie during the 2011-12 campaign, he led the team in doubles victories with 30, marking the fourth-most all-time among Blue Devil freshmen. Hemmeler teamed with Cale Hammond for an 8-2 ACC doubles ledger that spring and a share of the program record for the most ACC doubles wins as a freshman.
The following year, Hemmeler was paired with Henrique Cunha in doubles, a move that proved beneficial for the young Blue Devil in many respects. Duke's all-time leader in singles and doubles victories and an Intercollegiate Tennis Association All-American in each of his four seasons, Cunha mentored Hemmeler on and off the courts.
A native of Jaú, Brazil, Cunha was familiar with making the transition to playing collegiate tennis in the United States. Hemmeler cites the experience of playing with him as vital to his development on the court and comfort level around campus.
“I was a sophomore and he was a senior, so I learned a lot from him from his work ethic on the court and off the court,” Hemmeler says. “It inspired me and impressed me a lot. He was also an international student and he gave me a lot of advice about how to handle certain situations and how to adjust here. I think he was a big part also for my on-court success here at Duke.”
The fall of 2012 saw the duo capture three doubles titles, including at the ITA National Indoor Championship. Hemmeler and Cunha were just the second doubles team in school history to win the prestigious title.
In the spring, the pair combined for a 39-4 mark with a 9-0 ledger in ACC matches. They received the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Individual Doubles Championship at the end of the season, playing their way into the semifinals to earn ITA All-America honors. Hemmeler and Cunha concluded the year as the top-ranked doubles pair in the nation after putting together streaks of 16 consecutive matches won twice during the season.
“He's just a natural doubles player,” Smith says of Hemmeler. “He's not an overpowering player, he's not a big player, but he really understands the game of doubles. He's the type of guy everyone wants to play with because he's got a great, loose, easy-going personality and he has a lot of fun on the court. We've matched him with our best players over the years. He always seems to raise his level against the very best competition.”
Hemmeler also excelled in singles as a sophomore, leading the team with a 35-6 record and 25 dual match wins. He posted victories over five ranked opponents during the course of the year and went 8-1 in conference matches.
Following the graduation of Cunha, Hemmeler teamed up with Fred Saba and Bruno Semenzato at different points the next year. With Semenzato, Hemmeler saw success during the fall, advancing to the round of 16 in the main draw of the ITA All-American Championships. Along the way, the underclassman tandem registered an 8-4 upset of second-ranked Hernus Pieters and Ben Waagland of Georgia.
“Since my first week at school, he was my closest friend here and he still is,” Semenzato says. “He's an unbelievable person. It is amazing how he's always in a great mood. He treats everyone with so much respect. He's just an amazing person in and outside of the court.”
Hemmeler and Saba were ranked 50th in the final ITA doubles poll of the spring and compiled an overall ledger of 14-7 with time at the No. 1 and No. 2 positions in the Blue Devils' lineup. Among the highlights for the duo was an 8-7 (3) win over North Carolina's 32nd-ranked duo of Brayden Schnur and Brett Clark in the regular season finale.
In addition, Hemmeler topped the 20-win mark in singles for the third consecutive year while playing primarily from the No. 3 position. At the end of his junior year, he was named to the All-ACC third team.
“I've definitely improved a lot of the physical part of my game,” Hemmeler says. “I've worked to play more aggressive. I improved my serve and my net game as well. They put a lot more emphasis on doubles here in the States than in Europe, so my net game definitely improved a lot over my four years here.”
A member of what is now a veteran Duke lineup, Hemmeler has continued his success into his final year. He has already topped the 20-win mark in singles and has paired with freshman Nicolas Alvarez for a solid start to the spring at No. 1 doubles.
With Alvarez joining the Duke program this season from Lima, Peru, Hemmeler has seen himself mature into a mentor for his younger teammate.
“It's a reversed role now,” Hemmeler said. “I have to take on the leadership role. I'm trying to do the best and to help him to transition into college as well, but he's doing fantastic so he doesn't really need a lot of advice or guidance.
"It's been so much fun to play with him as well and I see similarities between Nico and Cunha. I think it's also part of why we get along so well off the court. I'm really enjoying it.”
As a senior, Hemmeler is also climbing his way up the Blue Devils' all-time lists. He picked up his 100th career singles victory in early February to become just the fifth player in program history to reach 100 wins in singles and doubles.
“What he's done is really impressive, especially on the doubles side,” Smith says of Hemmeler's contributions. “With our schedule he's playing some of the top doubles teams in the country, so to rack up that many wins is very impressive. He's certainly going to go down as one of the best players to come through our program. We've had a lot of really good players and there are very few people who have done what he's done already, and there's still a long way to go in our season.”
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