Dina Hegab propels SU to 7-0 win against Boston College using improved backhand

Dina Hegab was planted at the intersection of the baseline and left singles sideline, firing backhands one after the other. In between each, she hardly budged, moving ever so slightly only to stay balanced. Rocking on the balls of her feet, she fired six consecutive backhands, all with nearly the same speed and direction.

Then, without warning, she rotated her hips and whipped a hard forehand right by Boston College’s Heini Salonen. The point, which came late in the second set, helped Hegab to a 6-1, 6-2 win on Saturday.

“I started feeling really confident with my backhand,” Hegab said. “At that point of the match, I was just really playing good. I wasn’t thinking about anything, just doing what coach told me to do. That’s it.”

What her coach told her to do paid off on Saturday, helping No. 62 Syracuse (7-0, 1-0 Atlantic Coast) blank No. 48 Boston College (4-4), 7-0. Hegab’s victories in singles and doubles play have moved her to a 6-0 singles and 4-2 doubles record.

Younes Limam has worked with the freshman on her backhand since she arrived at SU. Hegab has been working on staying tall in the shot and not closing her racket head after connecting with the ball. She’s focused on avoiding a past tendency to sometimes face her racquet head to the ground, which can lead to shots that land short or hit the net.

“We worked on many things, small things that made a big difference,” she said. “I had some problems in my first days with my backhand, so I really worked hard on it.”

Hegab’s backhand was quick and compact Saturday, allowing her to rely on it whenever she desired. She went to it when she was trailing, tied and leading in matches. She never showed any signs of feeling the need to turn around and go to her forehand on Saturday — except when she went for the kill.

“It’s really good when you give pressure with your backhand and then use your weapon to finish the point,” she said. “That’s how I play, just use my forehand to finish the point.”

When she arrived at SU for practice last month, she was timid. A few weeks later, she’s still quiet on the court, but emerging as a confident player and a weapon for an SU team that’s undefeated and off to its best start since 2009.

“Obviously her forehand, she’s got a big forehand and she likes to dictate (the match) by her forehand,” Limam said. “She kind of uses (her backhand) to set her up to use her forehand.”

After those 10 seconds of backhands late in the second set, Hegab took the next two points with forehands. But each time, it was her backhand that set up her “weapon.”

“My first matches here were a little bit tight, definitely nervous, but I started improving with the feel today,” she said, “and I think it was one of my best days here.”