Jordan Nestrud leads by example for the Eastern men’s tennis team.

He won both of his No. 3 singles matches last weekend, 6-4, 6-3 Friday against Saint Louis and 6-3, 6-3 Saturday against Valparaiso.

The junior dictated the action in the matches, using his athletic ability and aggressiveness. Sophomore teammate Jeff Rutherford said Nestrud’s biggest strength is his athleticism to go with a strong forehand and a good serve.

Nestrud, a Morton native, has been working on being the aggressor in his matches since he first started playing at Eastern. Senior Chris Thomas said his aggressive play was the key to his success over the weekend.

“He has raised his game to another level.” Thomas said. “He’s playing an aggressive game – dictating the points.”

Nestrud said he could take control of the points by making several first-serves, and using his strong forehand shot to force his opponent to scramble.

“Being aggressive is important for me,” he said. “I try to use that style because I’ve got a pretty big weapon with my forehand.”

Another reason for his successful weekend was a good week of preparation in practice.

Rutherford said Nestrud is working hard every day in practice and, therefore, is improving rapidly.

Nestrud knows the importance of working hard in practices. The last few seasons the team has started strong, but faded towards the end of the season. He said players slacked off later in the year and lost commitment to practice.

“This year, I’m going to try my best to stop that from happening, so we can keep our focus all the way through the season,” he said. “Every single practice.”

His teammates see that hard work every day in practice, and their respect has pushed Nestrud into a leadership role.

“He leads by example with the way he practices.” Thomas said. “Some of the younger guys can look up to that.”

Rutherford said the younger players look up to Nestrud (3-2) for what he does on and off the court.

Nestrud appreciates the respect he has from his teammates, but he said he knows there is a certain level of responsibility that comes with being a leader.

“I’m not the most vocal leader, but I try to lead in my actions,” Nestrud said. “If I get mad, I can’t just throw my racket or yell because I’m trying to set an example for some of the younger players.”

He wants to lead Eastern (2-3) to a successful season. The team win against Valparaiso snapped a three-match-losing streak.

Nestrud said it was nice to get the win against Valparaiso to get back on track. He is confident the team can compete with anyone if they remain focused and give their full effort.

They will have a chance to build on that win this weekend, with matches Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

“I want to bring confidence to this team,” he said, “That way we can win every single match if we prepare well and work hard in practice.”

Micky Deming can be reached at jmdeming@eiu.edu or 581-7944.

Jordan Nestrud, junior tennis player, is from Morton, Ill. Nestrud won straight sets in his No. 3 singles competition this past Sunday against Valparaiso in Champaign, Ill. Nestrud’s next match will be against Indiana State at 5:30 p.m. Friday in Terre Ha

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