Unlikely duo finds success

He tried different combinations, he moved players around and he tried to motivate his team to play up to its ability.

Seven matches into the season, the Hoosiers had only four doubles wins — two of which came in 7-0 wins against Tennessee Tech and Butler.

Understanding the importance of camaraderie to doubles success, Bloemendaal decided to let his players choose their own partners.

“We didn’t feel like we were getting the ownership of the teams that we wanted,” he said.       

Teams that should work together  weren’t taking it on to the next level, he said.

“So what happened was we had a little points race going on, based on the teams, and they got to choose their own partners,” he said. “It was a really interesting time because they all went around and talked to each other and made hard decisions on who they were going to pick as players and who they thought they could win with.”

One team formed that day consisted of junior Lachlan Ferguson and freshman Josh MacTaggart.

Initially, it seemed like an odd combination. Ferguson, the most experienced player on the team, was coming off of an injury and needed time to regain his form. MacTaggart, the Hoosiers’ youngest player, hadn’t even seen doubles action in the regular season.

But the two athletes turned out to be a perfect fit for one another.

Since they started playing together on March 6, Ferguson and MacTaggart have won 11 of 16 matches, including wins over the No. 24 and 27 doubles teams in the nation. They are currently ranked No. 39 as a duo.

More importantly, though, the team started winning the doubles point on a consistent basis after the formation of the new groups. The No. 44 Hoosiers entered this week’s Big Ten Tournament having won the doubles point in seven of their final eight regular season matches.

“It really puts the pressure on the other team when we’re able to win doubles,” Bloemendaal said.

A competitive spirit (and some smarts)

Bloemendaal admits the tandem is not one he would typically put together.
He said they have similar strengths, such as their good hands, but one doesn’t complement or complete the other the way most successful doubles partners do.

Why, then, have they had so much success?

The answer is simple: they both love to win.

“They’re both tough competitors, and they just enjoy going after the other team together,” Bloemendaal said. “They’ve kind of bonded by trying to go out and beat everybody that they play.”

Neither Ferguson nor MacTaggart hits any opponent off the court with powerful serves or strong forehands. Both players rely on other aspects of their game, such as their knowledge of certain situations, to win matches against stronger, more-powerful players.

Their two brains together, MacTaggart said, have helped them beat some of the upper-tier opponents they have faced.

“I think our games gel really well,” said the Barnston, U.K., native. “We both see the game instead of just hitting the ball. Most of our wins are due to us outwitting our opponents rather than hitting them off the court.”

Conceding to the ‘older brother’

MacTaggart plays with a lot of emotion and passion on the court.

Most of the time, the freshman uses that emotion to his advantage. MacTaggart gets inside his opponent’s head and forces him to make mistakes he wouldn’t normally make.

“This one, not the next one,” he’ll yell. Then, when he wins the point, he’ll run around the court in celebration screaming “Let’s go IU! Let’s go Hoosiers!”

But when MacTaggart is playing doubles with Ferguson, he rarely says a word. He doesn’t argue a call. He doesn’t celebrate. He doesn’t dwell on a mistake.

All of that is Ferguson’s responsibility as the leader, and MacTaggart understands that. He simply walks back to the end of the court, gives his teammate a fist bump and prepares for the next point.

“I think I play with too much emotion at times during my singles,” MacTaggart said. “Ferg’s maturity and calming influence helps me keep that in order. I think the cheering and getting pumped up sometimes gets the other team fired up too and makes them bring their best tennis.”

MacTaggart came to the U.S. having never played team tennis before. Even with his great deal of success in the fall, he struggled to adapt to the Big Ten atmosphere in the spring.

Every time he had a problem, though, the veteran Ferguson was there to help him solve it. Ferguson went through a similar transition when he moved to Bloomington from Adelaide, Australia four years ago.

Ferguson has had a monumental impact on the young MacTaggart and others on the team.

When Ferguson graduates next week, MacTaggart said he will leave a hole in the roster that will be incredibly difficult to fill.

“He really helped me to settle in. He has kind of been like my older brother,” MacTaggart said. “It is going to be hard to lose a good friend and someone at the top of the game. But hopefully I can have the same effect on the freshmen next year.”