Hoosier tennis teams set for grueling weekend

The popular Internet song, "Peanut Butter Jelly Time," which features a dancing, rapping banana seems like a distracting tune for a tennis match. But not for No. 3 singles player Brianna Williams and the rest of IU's women's tennis team.\n"That's what we've been having in our head lately," Williams said. "Instead of thinking about everything so intensely, (songs) relax you."\nA relaxed Williams has been a reliable winner for the Hoosiers through the team's first matches, as has her doubles partner Sigrid Fischer. Both remain undefeated in singles and doubles play. \nAfter opening the season 3-0 -- including a 5-2 win over the University of Kansas last weekend -- the Hoosiers will try to keep the music going in a Sunday doubleheader featuring No. 14 Duke at 10 a.m. and Ball State at 3 p.m. at the Varsity Tennis Center.\nFor the first time this season, the Hoosiers will not be the favorite when they face the Blue Devils.\n"We're excited about Duke," said IU coach Lin Loring.\nDuke travels to Bloomington fresh off a 6-1 season-opening defeat of No. 19 Tennessee. \nSenior captain Sarah Batty is no stranger to the Blue Devils top player, UCLA transfer and No.-6 ranked Daniela Bercek. Batty, along with former Hoosier All-American Linda Tran, fell to Bercek and partner Lauren Fischer two years ago in the third round of the NCAA doubles tournament.\n"I don't like her," Batty said.\nThe No. 37 duo of Batty and junior Laura McGaffigan will face the No. 10 duo of Bercek and freshman Jessi Robinson in doubles to open play.\n"We're the underdog, so there's not a lot of pressure on us." Batty said.\nIn the afternoon, IU will face Ball State, a team Loring thinks the Hoosiers should beat. Last Sunday, Kansas crushed the Cardinals, 7-0, after the Jayhawks lost to the Hoosiers. IU has already defeated Miami University of Ohio and Western Michigan, two of the top teams in the Mid-American Conference, earlier this season.\nLast season, the Hoosiers lost at Duke, 5-2.\n"It's definitely going to be a challenge for us (to go 2-0)," Loring said. "Win or lose, we're going to see the things we need to work on"