March 2009 Archives
The University of Illinois and Texas A&M University have had an intense, college tennis rivalry in the last few years. It was A&M that prevailed in Aggie Land in 2006 in a hard fought 4-1 defeat. Illinois returned the favor in 2007. The team that later made the National Championship match dominated in the friendly confines of Atkins Tennis Center, taking a 6-1 victory. This past weekend, we had the privilege of returning to College Station for what was sure to be a dogfight.
In looking towards our first outdoor match of the year, we knew that preparation would be key. On Monday, March 9, our squad bundled up and braved the sub-fifty degree temperatures to try and get used to outdoor play. For those that don't know, outdoor play presents an entirely different set of problems. For one, the pace of play is much slower. The courts, affected by the elements, are quite gritty, grabbing the ball and preventing it from skidding as often happens during indoor play. The wind and sun force players to practice intense concentration. A player's shot selection or ball striking manner can depend on a handful of factors. We knew that Texas A&M would be used to such conditions and so our success would depend on our ability to adapt.
Our team had the privilege of practicing with another extremely successful alumni in Ruben Gonzales beginning on Wednesday. Ruben, who is now traveling the U.S. and the world playing professionally, passed through Champaign and gave us his thoughts on professional tennis, practice habits, and most importantly, playing Texas A&M. His ideas on our upcoming match were in line with those of the coaching staff and other notable Illinois alumni. It was essential to be ready for the heat. If not handled properly, playing in heat can neutralize any players strengths, regardless of their ability. Fitness, hydration, patience, and clarity on game plan would be at a premium. Also, the Aggies have the reputation (and have had it for a few years) of bringing out a large, raucous crowd. Staying composed in a hostile environment would be crucial.
It turned out that these basic assumptions could not have been further from the truth. Amidst many weeks of seventy-five degree heat, rain and cold moved into Texas all of last week. Additionally, the normally large crowd was significantly smaller due to spring break. A&M's match against Ohio State on Friday, March 13, was played indoors due to rain. We arrived late Friday night, and needed to use squeegees to dry soaked courts for our two practices on Saturday. We focused on adjusting to outdoor play and being ready to bring our own energy and atmosphere to an away match. Despite the strange circumstances, we were ready to play on Sunday at noon.
The doubles point was hard fought. Marc and Marek did a great job with being aggressive and consistent at number 1 doubles, but fell 8-5 to a solid Aggie team. We fell at number 2 doubles as well, handing A&M the doubles point, yet managed to grab some momentum in a win at number 3. Singles was equally hard fought. We grabbed wins at 3, 4,and 5, tying the total score at 3-all. Brian Livingston lost a heartbreaker at number 6, 7-5 in the third set in the deciding match. Even though we lost, we were encouraged by our fight. With spring break this coming week, our team looks for rest, recuperation, and preparation for a hectic end to our year. Big Ten matches followed by NCAAs will clutter our schedule. We will need to be well rested.
Until next time, Abe
The Big Ten Opener against Purdue on February 27 ushered in an extremely important part of the season. There is not a person on the University of Illinois Men's Tennis Team that does not place a Big Ten Title (regular season and tournament) near the top of their list of goals. Former coach Craig Tiley took our program from obscurity to national prominence in the 1990s. Illinois became a winning machine, bringing home nine Big Ten banners in as many years from 1997-2005. However, our squad has not grabbed a regular season or tournament title since 2005. I had the privilege of experiencing a Big Ten Tournament final last year at the University of Iowa. The atmosphere was absolutely electric. Although we lost a heart breaker to Ohio State 4-3, the chance to play for such laurels is what our program is all about. Having said that, feeling such disappointment last year makes us want to push ourselves even harder in preparation for what is to come.
The sub-freezing temperatures thawed this past week in Champaign, bringing warm air from the South and putting everyone on our team, coaches included, in a pretty good mood. We focused on consistency and fitness, getting our minds and bodies ready for battle. On Tuesday, we had the opportunity to practice at night. Because no one else was in the building, we were able to take the shirts off and compete hard against one another for a few hours. We concentrated on composure, hustle, and execution, tactics which will pay dividends in long matches. Trash talk circulated in the friendly-competitive atmosphere, particularly from Brian Livingston and myself.
In general, we have done a really good job of making things fun this year. This was one of our goals that we made during preseason in Florida and our team has enjoyed the ride so far. Having fun keeps our team fresh.
We felt completely prepared for the weekend of Big Ten tennis, and were excited at the possibility of extending our conference record to 3-0. Northwestern on Friday turned out to be a battle. Our guys had great energy in doubles (another trait we have been emphasizing), and managed to sweep all three matches. We knew that Northwestern had improved tremendously. They showed their strength at all points of the lineup, managing to grab three wins. Marc did a great job of trusting in his game at #1 singles. He stayed calm and trusted in his form, showing why he was such a huge force for us at ITA Indoors. Marek was tremendously solid mentally, as usual, at #4, and Brian Livingston electrified the crowd on court 6, giving us a 4-3 victory.
Playing a match the next day is always difficult physically, so body care (icing, stretching, hydration) was at a premium. Once again, our doubles prevailed Saturday night over a talented Wisconsin team. We showed our depth with victories at 4,5, and 6 singles to seal another 4-3 win. The matches haven't been easy, but we are happy to get through each match and remain undefeated in conference play. Next Sunday, we have a big challenge ahead of us in playing Texas A&M in College Station. The cold is supposed to move back into Champaign mid-week, but hopefully we can sneak outside and prepare for a very strong team. The wind and possible heat will all be difficult factors, but every player is ready for the opportunity.
Until Next Time,
Abe
Well Hello again!
Last time I mentioned our run at the
ITA National Indoors Championships. It was an incredibly exciting event
to be a part of, especially as the tournament host. However, it took a
pretty big mental and physical toll on our team. Our schedule for the
2009 season is arranged in a certain pattern. Large clumps of matches
are followed by a week or two of rest time. I think that this is best
for our team in terms of recovery. The week that we returned from
Indoors, it was important that we continue to improve and work on
things that had troubled us the previous weekend. However, it also
needed to be a time of rehabilitation and rest. Without proper care,
small pains can suddenly turn into stress fractures or shin splints.
Icing, massages, ice baths, and lots of stretching are all extremely
beneficial. Our coaches and athletic training staff did a great job of
putting our squad in a great position to continue our success.
Our next sequence of matches featured two double headers, one
on Friday, Feb. 27th and one on Sunday, Mar. 1st. We competed against
Detroit at 1 p.m. and had our Big Ten Opener against Purdue at 6 p.m.
On Sunday, Northern Illinois and Saint Louis came to Atkins Tennis
Center at noon and six, respectively. We prepared for these matches by
having two mock dual matches between members of our team. We split up
our team into the orange and blue teams, and wore the sleeveless
jerseys of former great Illini such as Ruben Gonzales, Ryan Rowe, Ryler
DeHeart, G.D. Jones, and Kevin Anderson. As our young team has moved
back into the top ten in the national rankings, we are still looking to
define our identity as a national force to be reckoned with. Playing
with the spirit of these leaders is definitely a step in the right
direction. It was a great way for us to raise the intensity of our
practice and to have a little fun along the way.
The four matches gave us the opportunity to sharpen our skills
while still giving every person on our deep, eleven man roster the
chance to compete. The home support for the first match of our Big Ten
title run did not disappoint. I played 6 singles and the atmosphere was
electric. There is no experience in college tennis that can compare to
playing in front of the crowd at Atkins. The loud echoes, raucous
cheering, and effort of the competitors creates an atmosphere unlike
any other. We managed to pull it out 4-3 (and the other three matches
on the weekend), but were disappointed to drop some matches.
Nevertheless, we are very optimistic in continuing Big Ten play. After
our match with Purdue, former Illini Kevin Anderson and Ryler DeHeart
talked to our team about ways to better perform and execute, especially
in pressure situations. Having such valuable resources around such as
these alumni is another thing that makes the University of Illinois
Men's Team such a special program and experience. On Saturday, I had
the opportunity to practice with Ryler which gave me phenomenal
preparation for Sunday's matches. Hopefully our unique community will
give us an edge this season. This coming weekend we host Northwestern
and Wisconsin on Friday and Saturday nights, respectively. Hopefully we
can raise the level of our play and build some momentum. Our crowd
(which is sure to be large) will help us a lot.
Until next time,
Abe
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Abe Souza
Sophomore, Illinois
Abe won his first collegiate match for the Fighting Illini over Alabama's Saketh Myneni in the fall of 2007 at the Olympia Fields Invitational. He went 16-17 overall and 5-4 in the dual season in singles, and played at No. 6 singles, going 2-1 in Big Ten play. Abe was honored with the Strength and Conditioning and Most Improved Player awards as voted on by his teammates for the 2007-08 season.
|
