“That’s really the Achilles heel of the team” he said, “and we have to decide whether we’re going to be defined as Achilles eventually was—as a great warrior—or as his heel. And the choice is up to you.”

Li found the answer an easy one.

“I don’t find it hard to push aside any nice feelings,” he said. “I am very competitive.”

But pushing aside fuzzy feelings is one thing—being harsh is another altogether.

“He’s had to change his attitude to go after college players,” Lingman said. “[He’s had] to be a little bit meaner than he really is, because he’s one of the nicest guys.

“So [he had to] try to put that aside and really compete hard, and I think he’s done a really good job so far.”

A BALANCING ACT

We’ve all seen John McEnroe throwing tantrums on the courts and an aged Jimmy Connors screaming at the chair umpire. Sometimes, a little aggression can go a long way.

But this doesn’t always work. Case in point is the classic underachiever Marat Safin. Sometimes, a player’s frustration is his own undoing.

Competing at the collegiate level—which is a big step up from the high school circuit—Li has had to find his own balance.

“Jack’s biggest problems this year have been rooted in his mental game,” explained Chiou.

“I always ask Jack before we play a doubles match, ‘Jack, where are you right now?’ In our first few matches, he would always say, ‘I am reaaalllly fired up to go.’ I would always tell him that he should calm himself [down].

“He is so fired up to play that it aversely affects his game.”

Li has now learned to translate that internal energy into something more productive, both for his teammates and himself: outward intensity.

“I had some reservations about being loud on the court,” he admitted, “because I don’t like to show a lot of emotions. I also felt like that a very in-your-face thing to do.”

However, he noted, “emotions can be a catalyst for our team…I look at it as a way to pump [up] my teammates.”

And the freshman, who trails only Lingman in singles victories, has done just that.