West Nott's Posts - Underground Tennis

$4,000 Charlottesville, VA Tournament

2007-11-30T05:13:59.281Z

Some tough names are playing with #1 seed Sanam Singh, #2 seed Treat Huey, #3 Dominic Inglot, and #4 Marcus Fugate.

Draw for $4,000 Charlottesville, Virginia

$1200 Winner: Palm Springs Money Tournament

2007-11-30T05:23:09.037Z

#1 seed is Chris Wettengel and #2 is Jeffrey Das. However, there is a strong list of players who will surprise you:

Levar Harper-Griffith, Joel C. Kielbowicz, KJ Hippensteel, Richard Johnson, etc...

Follow the results here

Men's ITA National Team Indoors Field Announced

2007-11-30T05:02:43.098Z

Men:

Alabama
Baylor
Georgia
Illinois
Mississippi
North Carolina
Notre Dame
Ohio State
Oklahoma State
Penn State
Southern California
Texas
UCLA
Virginia
Washington
(Mountain Region representative TBD in January)

Here is a link to the story.

Carlos Boluda Video

2007-11-30T04:54:58.959Z

Boys: Past Eddie Herr Champions Rankings Analysis

2007-11-22T09:06:33.324Z

After perusing the past champions list of the upcoming Eddie Herr International, I decided to cross reference those champions with their highest ATP career ranking. I think Emilio Sanchez said it best in a recent interview:

"Every kid who is playing wants to be a pro. The main problem is that the spots available are very, very few. Because in tennis you only have 100 top pros and these 100 pros don't change every year. So it's not like you have 100 chances every year to be a top 100 player because many of these guys can have careers lasting seven to 10 years and only a few guys slip or get injured or retire. So you may have five spots open up in the top 100 every year. Think about that for a minute. You're talking about maybe five spots for all the young players in the world, for all of the academies, for all of the federations all over the world."

Here are the results:

Boys 18

1993 - #1 Marcelo Rios CHI
1994 - #106 Frederico Browne ARG
1995 - #47 Michal Tabara CZE
1996 - #3 Ivan Ljubicic CRO
1997 - #19 Xavier Malisse BEL
1998 - #3 David Nalbandian ARG
1999 - #1 Andy Roddick USA
2000 - #440 Luciano Vitullo ARG
2001 - #156 Bruno Echagaray MEX
2002 - #243 Florin Mergea ROM
2003 - #222 Scoville Jenkins USA
2004 - #187 Jeremy Chardy FRA
2005 - #71 Marin Cilic CRO
2006 - #705 Nicolas Santos BRA

Boys 16
1993 - #236 Stefano Cobolli ITA
1994 - #381 Ivan Rodrigo ESP
1995 - #216 Florian Allgauer ITA
1996 - #42 Irakli Labadze GEO
1997 - #244 Catalan Gard ROM
1998 - #45 Nicholas Mahut FRA
1999 - #557 Julien Maigret FRA
2000 - #166 Lamine Ouahab ALG
2001 - #1174 Alexander Skrypko BLR
2002 - #928 Gregory Ouellette USA
2003 - #192 Jesse Levine USA
2004 - #1364 Kellen Damico USA
2005 - #1377 Gonzalo Escobar ECU
2006 - #1461 Grigor Dimitrov BUL

Boys 14

1993 - #326 Kobi Ziv ISR
1994 - #92 Federico Luzzi ITA
1995 - #469 Simon Dickson GBR
1996 - #3 Guillermo Coria ARG
1997 - #203 Stephani Bohli SUI
1998 - #1024 Ivan Stelko CRO
1999 - #307 Jorge Aguilar CHI
2000 - #208 Brendan Evans USA
2001 - #1400 Clancy Shields USA
2002 - #334 Pavel Chekhov RUS
2003 - #859 Daniel Lopez PAR
2004 - Ricardis Borankis LTU
2005 - Grigor Dimitrov USA
2006 - Yasutaka Uchiyama JPN

Boys 12

2000 - #1234 Nicolas Terrera ARG
2001 - Jean Marc Bazanne HAI
2002 - Maksim Tikhomirov USA
2003 - Lasu Kukhalashvili GEO
2004 - Bernard Tomic AUS
2005 - Emmett Egger USA
2006 - Mitchell Krueger USA

Girls: Past Eddie Herr Champions Rankings Analysis

2007-11-22T10:02:25.484Z

Girls 18

1993 - #20 Tatiana Panova RUS
1994 - #8 Anna Kournikova RUS
1995 - #91 Eugenia Kulikovskaya RUS
1996 - #370 Andrea Sebova SVK
1997 - Zsofia Gubasci HUN
1998 - #27 Virginie Razzano FRA
1999 - #44 Aniko Kapros HUN
2000 - #71 Edina Gallovits ROM
2001 - #3 Jelena Jankovic SRB
2002 - #4 Ana Ivanovic SRB
2003 - #39 Kateryna Bondarenko UKR
2004 - #167 Monica Niculescu ROM
2005 - #47 Dominika Cibulkova SVK
2006 - #248 Urszula Radwanska POL

Girls 16
1993 - Alice Cenepa ITA
1994 - #91 Eugenia Kulikovskaya RUS
1995 - #725 Alina Tecsor ROM
1996 - Mira Radu ROM
1997 - #62 Stephanie Foretz FRA
1998 - #435 Chloe Carlotti FRA
1999 - #61 Stephanie Cohen-Aloro FRA
2000 - #1 Maria Sharapova RUS
2001 - #299 Ko Bier CAN
2002 - #150 Alisa Kleybanova RUS
2003 - #248 Mihaela Buzarnescu ROM
2004 - #216 Madison Brengle USA
2005 - #308 Michelle Larcher de Brito POR
2006 - Tanya Raykova BUL

Girls 14
1993 - #8 Anna Kournikova RUS
1994 - Jessica Lehnhoff USA
1995 - #178 Ekaterina Sysoeva RUS
1996 - #210 Mia Buric GER
1997 - #88 Maria Salerni ARG
1998 - #808 Katrina Bandere LAT
1999 - #55 Barbora Strycova CZE
2000 - #219 Katia Afinogenova RUS
2001 - #519 Estefania Balda ECU
2002 - #310 Liu Wanting CHN
2003 - #106 Sorana Cirstea ROM
2004 - Maria Hokh RUS
2005 - #611 Tamaryn Hendler BEL
2006 - Hanna Orlik BLR

Girls 12
2000 - #150 Alisa Kleybanova RUS
2001 - #310 Lui Wanting CHN
2002 - #371 Sharon Fichman CAN
2003 - #464 Gail Brodsky USA
2004 - #829 Tara Moore GRB
2005 - Hanna Orlik BLR
2006 - Laura Robson GBR

November 20: Federer Sampras Exhibition

2007-11-22T10:08:52.761Z

Novak Djokovic Impersonations

2007-09-10T03:27:50.888Z

Thien Nguyen: $100K per year

2007-08-21T07:13:20.834Z

Read the following article on Thien Nguyen, a young 12 year old from Vietnam. I wrote an article six months ago talking about spending an average of $500K in tennis expenses before entering college- these guys are proof that they are willing to double my guestimate to have Thien become a professional player.

http://english.vietnamnet.vn/reports/2007/08/731353/

Find more videos like this on Underground Tennis Network

Jan Silva - 5 Years Old

2007-08-19T00:10:25.288Z

2007 Kalamazoo Video

2007-08-18T23:23:32.735Z

Find more videos like this on Underground Tennis Network

Jarkko Nieminen Plays Tennis Inside a Hotel Room

2007-06-09T00:00:29.042Z

Here are three videos that captured my attention. I don't know who doesn't like tricks, so here you go. The first one is of Jarkko Nieminen in a hotel room (I'm sure we have all done this at some point in our life). The second video is of some youngsters at an academy who have some serious talent bouncing the ball off the frame. And the last video is to compare our tennis tricks to the golf tricks of Tiger Woods. Federer needs his own Nike commercial with a few tricks.

ITFtennis.com: Jonathan Eysseric Blog on Practicing with Federer

2007-06-07T01:54:33.478Z

Jonathan Eysseric and Michelle Larcher de Brito are blogging for ITFtennis.com at the French. I am intrigued by Jonathan because not only is he the former #1 ITF junior in the world, but he is the lefty who is Federer's hitting partner.

Jonathan can obviously play some ball taking Olivier Patience to 4 sets in the first round as a WC. Olivier went on to reach the third round, losing to Novak Djokovic after holding a 2 sets to 1 lead.

If I was Federer, it never occurred to me that I could just "find a full-time lefty hitting partner." Here is a short video of Jonathan practicing with Federer at the French, but I'm warning you the video is not in English!

Anyways, below is the first day of Jonathan's blog explaining his practice with Roger Federer and how it all came about. if you want to read the entire week of blogging from Jonathan and Michelle, follow this link:

http://www.itftennis.com/juniors/news/newsarticle.asp?articleid=17620

Sunday, May 27th

Hi I’m Jonathan Eysseric and I’m blogging this week at Roland Garros. I’ve been here in Paris since Tuesday 22 May. I was practising all week before the tournament started with Roger Federer, which was pretty
exciting. He was looking for a leftie to practice with and we have the
same management company, so he called me. At first he wanted to
practice with me for five weeks between Monte Carlo and Roland Garros
but my manager said no because I had to play some matches before Roland
Garros, as you can imagine I was pretty upset when I found out he said
no, I mean, saying no to Roger Federer! Anyway so we agreed to practice
for one week after Monte Carlo and one week before Roland Garros. He’s
really really nice, I was a little nervous before I met him, but he is
he’s really relaxed and as soon as I spoke to me I didn't feel nervous
anymore. Practising with him has been a great experience. I learnt a
lot from him, not just tennis but mentally, he’s a really humble guy
and if you didn’t know he was Roger Federer you would just think he is
like any guy on the street.

So let's talk about the tournament, I played in the main draw last week, I played Olivier Patience in the
first round. He's another French guy so I know him well, it would have
been better to play someone I didn’t know, but then again, it was my
first Roland Garros so no match would be easy. I lost 61 36 62 64, I
played not bad, I could have done better in the third set. Then I
played doubles with Jeremy Chardy and we lost to Damm and Paes 76 76.
I’m pretty busy because I’m also playing in the mixed doubles with
Alize Cornet, we won yesterday in the first round against Rodianova and
Kerr so we are playing again tomorrow. Tomorrow I also have to play
junior doubles with Kellen Damico, so I don’t have too much free time
at the moment.

So, it's good to be back playing juniors. I love the atmosphere of the juniors, where I know everyone and I have lots of
friends. I played well today and just had to focus. I played Lofo
Ramiaramanan and won 61 61, the match was only 40 minutes which is good
because I need to save my energy for all of my other matches.

So, that's all for today, hopefully later in the week when I have more time
I'll tell you some other stuff about myself, and maybe do some blogging
in French (Faye from the ITF is typing this for me so we'll have to
work together on the French blog).

A bientot, see you soon

Jonathan

Amber Liu Interview: Part 2

2007-06-04T19:19:52.115Z

5) At the highest levels of the game, girls tend to hit flatter (sometimes harder!) and men tend to hit with much more spin and height over the net- from your strategic perspective, why is that? Is this a byproduct of an inability to move as explosive as men around the court and play consistent defense?

I think girls tend to hit flatter than men because they just aren't as strong. To hit hard, girls need to hit flatter, while men can hit a heavy, hard ball when they hit with spin. Typically, girls who hit flatter tend to hit the ball hard than girls who hit with a lot of spin.

6) Having been through the entire journey of junior, college, and professional- is leaving home at a young age to an academy or even training 4-5 hours a day at home necessary in becoming a world-class
player? What was your junior developmental life like?

I actually didn't do the 4-5 hours academy training until I was a junior in high school. I actually went to a college prep school in Southern California, so I had tons of homework. I grew up practicing 1-2 hours/day...less clinics, more private lessons. As I grew older, I practiced more and traveled more. I spent some time at an academy at the end of my junior year in high school.

I think leaving home at a young age to go to an academy can be good or bad...it really depends on the person. If a kid's life dream only has tennis in it, he/she should definitely to go to an academy. You'll eat, breathe, and live tennis. If a kid has aspirations to be something else, they should probably continue to attend a regular school until they get older and they find out whether tennis becomes more or less of a priority for them. During my time at Stanford, a lot of people were turned away because their school was not in good enough standing with the university. So, the given that the decision is made by the parents, my only advice to them is to make sure that their kids are on track to attend either a normal public high school, or an accredited home school.

7) There are on-going debates about Title IX, foreigners in college tennis, and using college as a stepping stone to the professional tour. Please share your thoughts? Also, what advice would you give to juniors or even college players who to opt out for a professional career?

If you want to give yourself the best chance to 'make it' on the tour, you should go straight to the pros. Turning pro at a young age will give a player the best experience and best chance to 'make it' on the tour, but in reality only a few actually 'make it'. If you don't turn pro in college, I would suggest you only go to college a maximum of 1-2 years. The level of college tennis doesn't really change and I found it difficult to improve in my last two years. The positive is that by going to college for at least a year, you hedge your bets and give yourself the option to be able to pursue other job opportunities when you're finished with your tennis career. College is a great stepping stone to 'life'...jobs, social, etc. Also, I'd imagine that it's a totally different experience if you start your freshman year in college at a much older age.

8) Lastly, I understand you worked as an intern at Goldman Sachs in NYC in the summer of 2005 and a job offer is available if you decide to hang up the racquets. What is the culture like with the mega Wall
Street firm and what are the hours like in the finance industry? Did you have to experience a tough round of interviews to land the internship and were any of the interview questions awkwardly challenging? Share your experience.

I did work as an investment banking intern at Goldman Sachs in NYC the summer after my junior year in college. I did receive a job offer, but chose to pursue professional tennis for a little longer than the deferral timeline, so I will have to reinterview once I'm finished with my tennis career. The culture at GS was amazing -- everyone was friendly, outgoing, team-oriented, and always willing to help. The hours can be pretty long...most work days lasted from 9 am to 1 am. However, so many of the skill sets that I acquired from playing tennis (the discipline, hard work, interpersonal skills, and the ability to work in a team environment) helped me have a very successful summer.

To land the internship, I did go through some rounds of interviews with a bunch of different firms. Some of the questions can be challenging, but as long as you are prepared, they are manageable. :)

Video: 2007 Georgia NCAA Champions

2007-06-02T01:15:12.807Z

Thanks to Lesley Platek of LIFEfilms, here is a great video for our viewing pleasure. I'll upload all my video when I feel like it, so expect a long time, haha!

ATP Fast Serve Speed List: Donald Young at 135 MPH

2007-06-02T00:29:13.214Z

Who says Donald Young doesn't have enough power? He made this list with 135 mph. All the figures are current to the first week of the French Open.

Andy Roddick...............155,03(249.4kph)............2004 davis cup
Chris Guccione.............155,00.............................2007 davis cup
Taylor Dent..................153,00
Greg Rusedski..............149,00
Oscar Hernandez..........146,00 (fastest serve for player under 6ft)
Ivo Karlovic...................145,60 (tallest player on list @ 208cm/6ft10)
Ivan Ljubicic..................145,00
Andy Murray.................145,00............................SAP open 2007
Nicolas Massu...............144,40
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga........144,16............................2004 paris masters
Joachim Johannson....... 144,00...........................2004 davis cup
Marat Safin....................144,00
Fernando Gonzalez........144,00
Jose Acasuso..................143,13
Agustin Calleri...............143,00
Benjamin Becker............142,60
Mark Philippoussis.........142,30
Max Mirnyi.....................142,00
Thomas Johannson.........142,00
Fernando Verdasco.........141,25
Julian Alonso..................141,00
Mario Ancic....................141,00
Wayne Arthurs................141,00
Danielle Bracciali............141,00
Carlos Moya...................141.00
Dmitry Tursunov............141,00
Nicolas Almagro............140,44
James Blake...................140.44
Wesley Moodie...............140,00
Bob Byan........................139.94...........................2004 davis cup
Igor Andreev..................138,85
Arnaud Clement.............139,19
Lleyton Hewitt................139,19
Richard Krajicek.............139,00
Gael Monfils...................139,00
Pete Sampras.................139,00
Feliciano Lopez..............139,00
Alexander Waske............139,00
Vladimir Voltchkov.........138.63...........................2004 davis cup
Michael llodra.................138.26...........................2004 davis cup
Marcos Baghdatis............138,00
Thomas Berdych.............138,00
Ilia Bozoljac....................138,00
Zack Fleishman...............138,00
Richard Gasquet.............138,00
Thomas Johansson..........138,00
Robin Soderling...............138,00
Jonathan Stark.................138,00
Gilles Elseneer.................137,00
Mardy Fish......................137,00
Radek Stepanek...............137,00
Amer Delic......................137,00
Luis Horna.......................137,00
Irakli Labadze..................137,00
Juan Carlos Ferrero..........136,71
Fernando Vicente............136,09
Thierry Ascione...............136,09
Roger Federer.................136,00
Goran Ivanisevic..............136,00
Nicolas Kiefer.................136,00
Dick Norman..................136,00
sam Querrey...................136,00
Robert Smeets................136,00
Mikhail Youzhny.............136,00
Juan Martin Del Potro......135,60
Ivan Navarro Pastor.........135,47
Olivier Rochus.................135,47 (shortest player on list @ 165cm/5ft5)
Frank Dancevic................135,00
Nikolay Davydenko..........135,00
Boris Becker.....................135,00
Dominik Hrbaty................135,00
Albert Portas....................135,00
Raemon Sluiter.................135,00
Stanislas Wawrinka...........135,00
Donald Young...................135,00

Amber Liu Interview: Part 1

2007-06-02T00:00:25.597Z

1) Most tennis enthusiasts are aware you earned three US Open WCs by winning the 2001 G18 USTA National Hardcourts and the 2003 and 2004 NCAA Individual Singles Title in your freshman and sophomore years respectively. (Bio can be found here: http://gostanford.cstv.com/sports/w-tennis/mtt/liu_amber00.html).

Many wonder, why didn't you turn professional after proving yourself consistently for three years in junior and collegiate tennis? Did turning professional ever cross your mind and if so, what were the ultimate deciding factors in pursuing your education before a professional career in tennis?

It was a really difficult for me to decide whether or not I should turn professional after both my freshman and sophmore year in college. There were a lot of good reasons to turn pro, but also a lot of good reasons to stay at school. In the end, for me my decision came down to the people who I was surrounded by at Stanford. It's very difficult to play well on the tour when you feel like you'd rather be in another place. I think in life, the most important thing is to be happy, and I found that I would be happiest at school with my friends and team. I still feel like I can take a full crack at the tour, I have a Stanford degree, and I'm also now set up to have a solid career once I'm finished with professional tennis.

2) You had the opportunity to compete against #1 WTA Kim Clijsters on two occasions at Stanford and the US Open in 2003 in losing efforts. What was your reaction when you saw the US Open Draw and knew you were going to be playing Kim Clijsters on national television? Can you re-live the atmosphere of a night match in Arthur Ashe Stadium which holds approximately 22,000 seats and then going to 25K Challenger in Peachtree City, Georgia a few weeks latecompeting in front of a handful of spectators?

I actually kind of laughed when I saw the US Open draw. I remember that when the draw came out, the spot against the #1 seed was the absolute last place that I looked. Playing in opening match on Arthur Ashe Stadium was really amazing...something that very few people get to experience throughout their entire tennis careers. I loved the music during warm-up and the commercials during breaks...it loosened me up and made me feel like I was really out there as entertainment. You really gain a lot of confidence from an experience like that. I went into Peachtree City with a really good mindset. The prospect of playing on a stage like that in the future really gave me a lot of extra motivation.

3) Last summer, you pushed Shahar Peer to three sets who is currently ranked #17 in the world. What kind of confidence does this give you moving forward, especially since you struggled with some injuries in recent past? What adjustments do you have to make to beat a player like Shahar Peer when the chance arises again?

It's funny - I really don't think there's a big difference between girls ranked in the 20s and girls ranked in the 300s. Everyone can play...it really comes down to your confidence. I remember winning the first set against Shahar and thinking 'oh, I could win this.' It really went downhill from there...i started to doubt myself, was much more tentative, started focusing on the result instead of focusing on playing well. For me to get to the top, I just have to start believing in myself a little more and have a little of that borderline-cocky confidence that all the top players have when matches get tough.

4) Coach Lele Forood has amassed an incredible five NCAA Team Titles in the past six years and in the process won an earth shattering 89 consecutive dual-matches where it was snapped by Georgia Tech at the 2007 NCAA Team Indoors. What type of coach is she during practice and how is she in during pressure filled moments? Also, what is the single most influential piece of advice she share with you or the team on a regular basis?

Lele is a great coach. She knows what's important -- she's not one of those coaches that's going to beat her team down mentally and make the entire team run sprints if one person is one minute late to practice. She's reasonable - as long as you are responsible and you work hard and get your job done, Lele allows you to really live the life of a student athlete. Because she allows you to be so balanced, the girls are generally much happier, and in turn end up being much more willing to work hard and efficiently at practices.

Lele is actually pretty even-keeled during pressure filled moments. Once the match rolls around, she's completely calm and collected. I think Lele's success comes from her ability to get a bunch of very different individual players to see the big picture and to play together as a team.

Underground Tennis Awards

2007-06-11T07:05:07.869Z

Since the collegiate tennis season is over, I want to hand out a few Underground Tennis Awards. I hope some of you will disagree with my choices and trust me, I will not take it personally. Let's get started!

Biggest Serve

John Isner definitely has the biggest serve in college tennis, if not one of the biggest serves in the world. When you think of great servers, you think of servers who have a great combination of power, effortless fluidity, ability to mix things up, and disguise. John easily fits the bill in all areas of serving and most importantly, he dictates matches with his serve. Another important variable to consider when thinking about great servers is the ability to come up with the right serves at the right times. Eight times out of ten, John is able to come up with the winning serve when he is faced with a break point.

Biggest Forehand

You can't survive in men's tennis without a great forehand. Almost everyone has an effective forehand to some degree, so this is tough one for me. Off the top of my head, nobody pops into my head when I think about a big forehand.

Todd Paul has an unbelievably flat, skidding, powerful forehand. Arnaud Brugues and Luis Flores can generate tremendous spin and racquet head speed with the flick of a wrist. Stephen Bass is extremely phsyical with his forehand. Luigi D'Agord can make the ESPN Highlight reel on a regular basis. And the list goes on and on.

From the NCAA Tournament, I am going to hand the award to Alex Slovic. From the matches I saw against Rowe, Bass, Poole, Levine, and then Isner, he had it all. When I think of a big forehand, I think of someone who can smoke a winner out of nowhere and also have the ability hit angles, loopers, passing shots, driving shots, etc. Alex is a like a magician with his forehand and when you combine that with his lefty, good luck. This is all from someone who is not a particularly great mover around the court.

Biggest Backhand

I don't want to give every award to the same person, so I am trying to spread the love and appreciate all the different shot makers in collegiate tennis. However, in this specific case, I have to give it to Somdev Devvarman.

Somdev has the biggest backhand because he controls the center of the court. Rarely will Somdev leave a backhand in the middle of the court. All his backhands have great feel, net clearance, power, and angle to be extremely effective. Not only that, he takes most of his backhands relatively early and can occasionally sneak a few up-the-line.

Best Volleys

This categroy is a tie for me and I hate ties. Andre Begemann and Benjamin Kohlloeffel are my two winners. A great volleyer is someone who can perform all the intangibles at the net. Andre and Benjamin have great movement around the net, always maintaing a great position before, during, and after the volley is executed. As far as intangibles, both are very nimble at handling lower, trickier volleys and have an excellent mix of sticking and dropping the ball.

Best Return of Serve

Jesse Levine, Benjamin Kohlloeffel, and Somdev Devvarman are the clear front-runners in my opinion. Great returners not only make a high percentage of their returns, but also do something with the returns. Jesse and Benjamin do a great job of taking your time away. Somdev is a little different in that he gets the return back with great height and depth over the net, automatically neutralizing a big serve.

Best Footwork

Somdev Devvarmann hands down. Somdev is incredibly explosive off the dot and great at changing direction. When you mix that in with his natural ability to anticipate, he is one tough cookie to hit a winner on.

When you watch Federer, Federer has great control over his center of gravity with his upper-body over his legs. The same idea applies to Somdev. The footwork is very clean with very efficient steps to the ball. Somdev gives himself the best chance to hit the best possible shot every single time.

Lastly, Somdev shrinks the court. Opponents are often overhitting with the illusion that Somdev is the Great Wall of China on the other side of the net. The drumming of Arnaud Brugues was a perfect example in the quarterfinals of NCAA's.

Best Hustler

Steven Moneke is by far the best hustler. He can cover some serious territory and will always spill his guts on the court. It doesn't matter if you hit the best dropshot the world has ever seen- Steven will sprint for it. It doesn't matter if Isner has a sitting overhead on top of the net- Steven will jump for it. Seriously, who doesn't appreciate a hustler?

Mr. Cool

I think a whole range of guys fit into this category. Again, you can't be successful at this level if you can't keep your cool under the tightest circumstances. When you look at the top 10 NCAA Singles Rankings, everyone is extremely tough mentally.

Coaches talk about needing two or three major weapons in order to be successful on the professional tour. For some, weapons are inside-out forehands, down-the-line backhands and great serving. For me, a weapon can include the mind.

Devvarmann, Isner, Levine, Kohlloeffel, and Anderson are my big-five in college tennis. They all have great minds and not easily discouraged. If I were to pick one out of the five, I would pick Somdev. Somdev has a great short-term memory and does a great job of playing in the moment.

Taking Time Away

Some of you are probably questioning my choices since I haven't given Jesse Levine any awards. Jesse doesn't have the biggest anything. With that being said, Jesse does everything in tennis extremely well.

Examining a little closer, Jesse is the best at taking time away from the opponent. Most collegiate players are hesitant about doing the "right" thing. Jesse will recognize the opportunity and take it every single time. He doesn't wait. He doesn't hope. He doesn't worry about fear of missing. He just takes it.

The game looks so easy because he is jumping on every little opportunity. If you leave a backhand crosscourt and short, he'll just take his backhand up-the-line and follow it to the net. If he hits a great return and sees you lunging for the backhand, he's already at the net. If you hit a low, short slice in the middle of the court, he aggressively approaches the net.

The only other college player who is in the league is Benjamin Kohlloeffel. Kohlloeffel makes life easy because he makes great decisions- the "right" decisions. The same goes for Levine. If they sense any doubt in your game, you are toast because deep down they have already made the decision to committ whether they win or lose.

Part 2 will be coming soon...

Future of Underground Tennis in Jeopardy

2007-05-30T23:26:48.421Z

Hello! After spending two crazy weeks in Athens, I am finally back in Seattle. The first week was far more entertaining than the second week with all the energy from the team event. As I said after the National Indoors earlier this year in Chicago, the emotion is something you can't find anywhere else in the tennis world. Not even in a Grand Slam.

Here is some proof. In the Round of 16 at a night match, Georgia opened their quest for the NCAA Title against Florida. The stands were pixelated with a 1000 red and white shirts chanting "U-G-A! U-G-A!" In the first point of the doubles with Isner and Flores versus Oullette and Levine, Isner routinely served an out-wide ace past Levine. As the ball hit the fence, Isner jumped in the air and pumped his fist towards Flores. Almost as if Isner was the conductor, the crowd responded by exploding out of their seats yelling at the top of their lungs, "Here we go Daaaawwwwgs!"

I repeatedly witnessed the above scenario time and time again during the first week. The atmosphere was magical for college tennis, but I almost felt as if the tennis gods were preparing for this week since the beginning of time. Think of all the miraculous things that had to happen in order for Georgia to sweep the NCAA Title? A lot! Everything from Travis transferring, a Grand Slam Junior Doubles team at #3, Isner serving in his backyard, Matic putting the past behind him, Flores coming back for another year, an entire university and city who loves Georgia Tennis, to a kick-ass tennis facility. I am telling you, everything in the tennis universe conspired for this perfect moment in Georgia Tennis history.

ANYWAYS, why is the future of Underground Tennis in jeopardy? I didn't see it coming, but I accepted a position while I was in Athens to enter the realm of collegiate coaching. I'll be starting in just over a month, but the bad news is I have no idea what is going to happen with Underground Tennis. I have been holding off on sharing anything from the NCAA Tournament because I am looking for someone to relieve me of my duties and carry on with the website. Ideally, the website could be self-sustaining with enough members who genuinely cared about writing their own blog posts, uploading pics, and sharing video.

I am open to any offers, suggestions, or help in a writing capacity as a coach, player, or general fan. This website sucked the life out of me and I don't want to see it die.

Just so you know, there is potential to make money from the website with advertisements and other creative avenues- but I have held out in trying not to pollute the site and trying to garner more users in the process. I have close to 2000 photographs of almost every player in Athens, so eventually all of those will be available online. Not to mention, all the cool video coverage I have of players strokes, pressure-filled moments, and behind the scenes action.

Another idea I've been pursuing is the UP Fund (Underground Player Fund). The idea behind the UP Fund is to raise money for an ex-collegiate player. This will be the public's player because anyone can donate and genuinely feel like they helped that player if he ever achieves stardom or plays a match on ESPN at a Grand Slam. Many great players from college tennis have trouble taking the last and most important step in the tennis lives in achieving professionalism with no money for coaching, eating ramen noodles, skimping on the fitness, or sleeping 4 to a room at a Futures event. Why not help these players out who have dedicated their life to the sport?

How do I raise the money? Through many different avenues, but the marketing would be facilitated by some big names in the tennis world. Benjamin Becker, Tarik Benhabiles, and Renaissance Management are a few of the individuals who are on-board with the concept along with a few others who I am currently in talks with. These high-level tennis minds will form the Panel of Experts who will not only help with the marketing of raising money, but also help with the guidance/support/mentoring/coaching of the UP Fund player down the road.

How do I determine who receives the money? There are several possibilities, but the methods include either hosting an online vote at a major tennis website, allow the Panel of Experts to vote on the player, have a year-end NCAA criterium, or host a tournament to play off for the UP Fund. All I ask in return is for the player to share some of his inside experiences on tour, almost becoming the "American Idol" tennis player.

These are just a few of the possibilities with the website. I'm going to try everything in my power to keep it alive for as long as possible.

West

Alex Slovic of Washington downs Jesse Levine of Florida

2007-05-26T22:09:06.264Z

Wow. I have so much stuff to share, so naturally I do not know where to start. The big news today was Alex Slovic of Washington (pictured below) upsetting Jesse Levine of Florida in three sets in the quarterfinals of the 2007 NCAA Singles Championships.

Although Levine had a phenomenal year on paper, Slovic is not exactly a slouch. If anyone knows anything about men's tennis, anyone can beat anyone on any given day. Even if you are Jesse Levine or John Isner. This is why we play the matches!

The ironic stat is Slovic won the ITA Rookie of the Year in his inaugural year in the NCAA with Levine winning the award this year. Also, Slovic was the only guy to defeat Conor Niland of Cal-Berkeley in dual-matches last season. Not to mention, Slovic entered the tournament this year as the 6th alternate to dispatch Ryan Rowe of Illinois, Stephen Bass of Notre Dame, and Robbye Poole of Ole Miss.

Levine (pictured below) came into the tournament undefeated in dual-matches with a great shot at winning the title. Regardless of this one result, we all know how good Levine will be in the future. All I can say is I respect his decision to put his pride on the line and come to college for at least one semester. Earlier in the year, I did an interview with him where he discussed his big ATP wins in Delray and his 6 and 6 loss to Monfils in the Sunrise Challenger a few months back.

How did Slovic do it? I'm not really going to explain because the first set is shown below! Before you watch, I will say that Slovic did an excellent job of keeping Levine off-balance with the first couple shots within the point. I spoke with Washington Head Coach Matt Anger before the match and this was the game-plane going in. Levine's biggest strength is taking your time away, but Slovic rattled Levine with a big shot early in the point.

Somdev Devvarman of Virginia and Arnaud Brugues (pictured below) of Tulsa were playing next to Slovic/Levine. Somdev gave Brugues a nice lesson today to the tune of 6-0, 6-2. Somdev has been playing some great tennis since he got to Athens defeating Isner and Flores.

What is Somdev doing so well? The future #1 player for Indian Davis Cup is playing within himself. In my eyes, he is by far the best mover in the NCAA. He is very efficient in his steps and very rarely do you see him off-balance. The scariest part about his movement is his change of direction and incredible start speed.

Some might argue, so what? Well his movement allows him to play within a comfortable zone- he has a great middle-ground on his groundstrokes. He is always hitting on the ball with a very high-margin for error. He is right where you want to be, but his footspeed allows him to cover up any errors he may make in hitting shorter balls.

Trust me, Somdev is not hitting winners left and right. He slowly suffocates you into going for shots you don't want to go for. At the same time, if you want to sit there and grind with him- he will either outlast you or take it to you when presented with an opportunity. There are no easy points against Somdev. You have to beat him.

I see Somdev (pictured below) doing well on the circuit if he is in the right headspace. Not much can go wrong in his game.

One final story. Somdev defeated Isner during the semifinals of the NCAA Team event. The following day, I am walking around the site and a nice lady comes up to me saying what a great match I played against Isner. I didn't say anything, but I'm looking at the ground, scratching my head. Must have been my brown skin!

ITA National Rookie of the Year: Jesse Levine of Florida

2007-05-24T15:17:14.365Z

Thanks to Kevin Martinez of Illinois Sports Information, here is a press release I recieved...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 24, 2007
For more information, contact Kevin Martinez, 217-265-0170
Anderson Named ITA National Player to Watch
Junior Collects Second Postseason Award

URBANA, Ill. – The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) announced the national award winners for NCAA Division I tennis Tuesday during a ceremony at the University of Georgia's Rankin M. Smith Student-Athlete Center. Junior Kevin Anderson of Illinois was named ITA National Player to Watch after leading the Illini to a tremendous run in the NCAA tournament that came to an end with a loss to undefeated and top-ranked Georgia in the NCAA finals.

ITA Men's Tennis Award Winners
Wilson/ITA National Coach of the Year – to be announced later this week
ITA National Assistant Coach of the Year – Mark Booras of LSU
ITA/Farnsworth National Senior Player of the Year – John Isner of Georgia
ITA National Rookie of the Year – Jesse Levine of Florida
ITA NATIONAL PLAYER TO WATCH - KEVIN ANDERSON OF ILLINOIS
ITA/Rafael Osuna Sportsmanship Award - Somdev Devvarman of Virginia
ITA/Arthur Ashe Jr. Award for Leadership and Sportsmanship – Danny Bryan of LSU
ITA/John Van Nostrand Memorial Award – Stephen Bass of Notre Dame

HONOREES CREDENTIALS
Mark Booras (LSU) has helped head coach Jeff Brown and LSU to Top 25 rankings in eight of the nine years he has been on the Tiger staff. Georgia's John Isner, the Senior Player of the Year, is ranked No. 1 in the nation in singles and doubles and has guided UGA to the national title, its first since 2001.

Florida's Jesse Levine has turned in one of the top rookie campaigns in recent memory. At No. 3 in the Fila singles and doubles rankings, he rolled off a 21-match win streak in singles to open his career.

The ITA National Player to Watch award goes to a player who has not yet won an ITA national singles title, but is expected to perform at a high level the rest of their careers and contend for national titles. Illinois' Kevin Anderson has led the Fighting Illini on a tremendous run through the NCAA tournament, leading the Orange and Blue to upsets over No. 7 Mississippi, No. 2 Ohio State and No. 3 Baylor en route to the programs second national title match. A 2006 NCAA doubles champion, he is ranked No. 5 in singles and No. 8 in doubles, while also capturing Big Ten Player of the Year honors as well.

Four players received prestigious sportsmanship awards. The ITA/Arthur Ashe Award for Leadership and Sportsmanship goes to a player who has exhibited outstanding sportsmanship and leadership as well as scholastic, extracurricular and tennis achievements. LSU's Danny Bryan, an ITA All-America in doubles this season as a senior, was recently named LSU's Male Volunteer of the Year for his outstanding work in numerous community service projects.

Virginia’s Somdev Devvarman, the nation's second-ranked player in singles and doubles, received the Osuna Award, which goes to a men's player who displays sportsmanship, character, excellent academics and has had outstanding tennis playing accomplishments. Notre Dame's Stephen Bass received the ITA/John Van Nostrand Memorial Award, which awards a stipend to an outstanding senior men's player who plans to pursue a professional tennis career upon graduation.

As the governing body of collegiate tennis the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) promotes both the athletic and academic achievements of the collegiate tennis community. The ITA, which was founded in 1956 and is based in Skillman, N.J., administers numerous regional and national championships, the ITA Collegiate Summer Circuit presented by the USTA, and the Fila Collegiate Tennis Rankings for Men's and Women's tennis at the NCAA Divisions I, II and III, NAIA and Junior College levels. The ITA also has a comprehensive awards program for players and coaches to honor excellence in academics, leadership and sportsmanship.

-ILLINI-

-- ------------------------ --
Kevin Martinez
Illinois Sports Information
SID Contact: Men and Women's Tennis, Men's Gymnastics, Volleyball Assistant
Office: 217/265-0170
Fax: 217/333-5540
Cell: 806/441-2801
Email: kmart@ad.uiuc.edu
www.FightingIllini.com
-- ------------------------- --

NCAA Tournament: 12 Plus Hours of Tennis

2007-05-21T06:05:04.419Z

What a ride the last few days have been. I have watched 12 plus hours of tennis per day with no sleep. I am ready for someone to stick a fork in me. But guess what? I love it!

There is really too much tennis to cover at 2 AM, but I just want to say that massive updates will be coming as the tournament winds down. Already, I have amassed over a 1000 action photos (above is Erling Tveit after winning the first set against Kevin Anderson) along with some sick tennis footage of players, highlight moments, and even entire sets!

Want to watch Jesse Levine and John Isner duke it out? I have the entire first set in the R16 dual-match between Florida and Georgia.

I would love to leave an update now, but I want to write some meaningful stuff that is worthwhile reading. If you are craving touranment information, please read ZooTennis.com because Colette Lewis is awesome at what she does.

Final Four is in a few hours at 9 AM, but check back in for the inside scoop from the Underground perspective. Trust me, you will not be disappointed :)

Be Your Own Coach: Michael Chamerski Interview

2007-05-19T15:06:07.067Z

Below is the link to an article I wrote about being your own coach followed by an interview with a youngster named Michael Chamerski.

http://www.tennisrecruiting.net/article.asp?id=304

Former Georgia Tech Yellowjacket: Lyndsay Shosho

2007-05-18T14:07:29.525Z

With the girls tournament kicking off today and the Georgia Tech Yellowjackets in the hunt, I am lucky to have Lyndsay Shosho share a few insights on the NCAA Women's Draw and Georgia Tech (Lyndsay is pictured here with her U of Hawaii team and is in the middle with black shirt/white pants).

Lyndsay Shosho was a former player for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. She played an integral part in resurrecting the Georgia Tech program from mediocrity to becoming a national powerhouse. Before she graduated in 2006, she did almost everything you can do in the Georgia Tech history books. She attained All-American status, gained entrance into the NCAA Individual Championships, and led her team to two ACC Championships. If that wasn't enough, in her senior year she pushed the Yellow Jackets into the Top 10 NCAA and a Sweet 16 performance. Currently, she is the Women's Assistant Coach for the University of Hawaii.

1) Before we talk about the NCAA Championships, I want to ask a question about your current position at the University of Hawaii. With Hawaii in such a great location with lovely weather, you tend to draw some of the best schools in the nation on your home courts. For example this year you had Northwestern, Cal Berkeley, and North Carolina who are not a part of the WAC. With great facilities, good school, and a paradise location- should we expect to see Hawaii in the top 50 for the coming years? Talk a little about Hawaii because most people tend to think college tennis is only played in the continental US.

When I first arrived here in January, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Not only is this place gorgeous, but we have a USTA award-winning tennis facility and support staff here at Hawaii. We are very fortunate to have one of the nation’s premier tennis facilities and when you combine that with great weather, this place has so much potential. We have a new coaching staff here and we are beginning to build this program so that we’ll be right up there with the best. It is our job as coaches to change the current perception people hold toward Hawaii—the sort of laid back, carefree lifestyle on the beach. This place is a paradise and we are just at the tip of the iceberg. We have all the right ingredients to make this place one of the best.

2) You started when Georgia Tech was not the most touted tennis school in the nation. Bryan Shelton has seemed to make the difference in moving the program forward. Can you talk a little about his coaching style and how his strong playing background translates into relating to the player? Can you share a specific experience about Bryan that impacted you in a profound way or just blew you away?

One thing for sure is that you cannot buy experiences. Bryan’s experiences as a professional tennis player have given him the wisdom and ability to relate to his player’s needs on the court. Bryan has obviously gained a lot from “having been there and done that” and since only a handful of college coaches have had these experiences, it has certainly given him an edge as a coach. I think his philosophy is that you can expect to get out what you put in. There is no secret or short cut to success besides getting down and doing the work day in and day out. As long as you don’t make excuses and fall by the wayside, by the end of road you end up being way ahead of where you started. Bryan is also very good about making sure you have a purpose or a focus for the day. It is easy to be passionate about something when you have a purpose.

One specific experience I can remember happened when I was a freshman and competing at Southern Cal in the first round of NCAAs. The day was so incredibly windy and I was shanking literally like every other ball because my footwork was horrendous. And as a freshman, I didn’t quite understand the value of being able to compete at NCAAs quite yet. I was going down fast and had no real plan out there. So on the changeover I was quietly sipping my water and minding my own business, looking at the sky or whatever, and suddenly I see Bryan sprinting over to me. He knelt down two inches from my face and shouted, “Sho, what the hell are you doing!?!” I was so scared I wanted to cry. Little did I know at the time, it is moments like these where I learned to grow and become the thick-skinned person I am today. It was a wake-up call for me and it made me realize how valuable it actually was to be a part of someone who cared so much for something.

3) With the NCAA Championships approaching quickly, the Jackets are looking strong in making a big push for the title. Earlier this year, GT won their first ever National Indoors defeating Stanford and recently won the ACC Championships. I personally think snapping Stanford's long-standing win streak was a huge mental hurdle to conquer. Why? I almost feel as if previous dynasties such as Florida, Stanford, and Georgia win so many matches because they have a mental edge going into the match. They have been there and done that. Since you know the team personally, can you talk about the mental dynamics involved of being Georgia Tech versus the other historic powerhouse teams in the NCAA Tournament?

Obviously GT defeating Stanford at National Indoors was a huge feat, simply because it hadn’t been done in 89 matches. They were able to breakthrough a barrier that hadn’t been touched in awhile. Not only does that say a lot about the character of that team, but the fact that they were able to go back out the next day and take down Notre Dame for the title speaks volumes of what this team is made of. It simply proves that they weren’t going to settle for their first feat because they still had more business to take care of.

Bryan does a good job of communicating the importance of never underestimating your opponent or taking them lightly, and at the same time going out there and fighting for something that you’ve worked so hard for. Given the fact that GT hasn’t ever won a national title before, perhaps it makes them hungrier to take it this year. The girls all know that if they take the title they will make history and be the first group of girls ever from GT to accomplish such a feat. And when you get a group of 8 girls together who are hungrier than the next bunch of 8 girls, I will take the hungrier ones every time.

4) Currently, every girl on the Georgia Tech team is ranked in the NCAA Singles Rankings. Can you expand on each girl on what makes their games so successful? What are their strengths?
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Kristi Miller (#6) is currently the highest ranked Yellow Jacket. One of the reasons that she is so tough is that she has a complete game. She has all the shots. She knows when to use each of the shots too, which shows her headiness on the court. She hits a very strong, heavy ball and is not afraid to come forward to attack. She is a fighter and since she has all the shots, she can easily find one of her tools to use against her opponent.

Kirsten Flower, a freshman, is the next ranked Jacket coming in at #34. Although I have never seen her play, the fact that she has climbed to #34 in the rankings as a freshman says a lot about her character and fight. I know that she is an extremely hard worker and is always looking for ways to get better, hence all of the extra work she puts into her game.

Christy Striplin (#62) is the next ranked Jacket. Christy is so competitive that I think you can put her at virtually anywhere in the lineup and she is going to find a way to grind it out. She has very solid, heavy ground strokes that often frustrate her opponents because she wears you out. She moves well and competes well and will often win simply because she is willing to outlast her opponent. This says a lot about her mental toughness.

Amanda Craddock (#71) has been a solid performer for the Jackets. She is a freshman and I have not seen her play but I have heard of her huge serve. With a huge serve and big forehand, she has proven herself that she can get her job done, nearly every match.

Whitney McCray (#83) has been a huge doubles performer this year with partner, Kristi Miller. They are currently #3 in the nation and will be striving to take the doubles title at NCAAs. Her athleticism and fearless attitude has allowed her to take charge of her doubles game this season.

Alison Silverio (#93) is probably the most underrated player in the rankings. She has been playing high in the lineup this year and as a senior, has a wealth of experiences to draw from. She has a huge forehand and uses it very well to set up her points. She doesn’t give away a whole lot and can keep her composure under pressure. She is currently the team’s captain and has put a lot of time and effort into the program during her years.

Amanda McDowell (#94) is another freshman who I haven’t seen play, but I hear that she has exceeded everyone’s expectations. She is stepped up as a freshman and has shown to compete well even during the big matches. She has had solid results this year and has definitely added great depth to the roster.

Tarryn Rudman (#108) was a great addition to our team when we grabbed her from Mississippi State. She is a great teammate and adds a lot to the team dynamic. She is very focused when she plays and quietly goes about her business. She possesses great quickness and athleticism and can break you down from her consistency and grit.

5) Lastly, besides Kristi Miller and her fellow teammates- what other girls pose a serious threat in winning the Individual NCAA Singles Championship? Who and why?

My money is on Kristi Miller. As I previously said, she is one of the few college players who actually has a complete game and who is not afraid to use it. She can attack and move forward, she can defend, she can use angles, she can use high heavy balls, and she can slice. It will be important for her to stay within herself out there. Since she is a junior now, she has seen and played against all of the best college players. It will be up to her now to have the grit and fearlessness it takes to go after a title as big as this one. She will need to have the heart and relentless attitude that all champions possess

Interview with Bo Hodge: Part 2

2007-05-17T07:16:09.008Z

5) Please share a little about important Georgia Tennis people in a few sentences- what happened to their career, what are they like, or anything worth saying. Head Coach Manny Diaz, Assistant Coach Will Glenn, John Roddick, Matias Boeker, Brandon Wagner, and Lesley Joseph.

Well Manny and John were my coaches when we won the Title in 2001 and lost in the finals in 2002. They are both great coaches and helped me a ton. Manny was the one who would look you in the eye and could get a point across. John was the intense one, and would yell at you, and I appreciated both of them. They were different but were both very good. What Will has done is amazing, he was a walk on here and went through the grueling practices day in and day out for 5 years without getting any glory, but he still demanded respect from his teamates because of how hard he worked and how much he loved Georgia Tennis. He has done a great job with the team as an Assistant Coach and I look for him to continue that. Matias, Brandon, and Lesley were all on the team when we won it in 2001 and we wouldnt havent won without them. It was tough because we were all so good, and people had to make sacrifices by playing lower in the line up. Everyone handled it well and we are all still very good friends today.

6) I understand you were a hitting partner for Serena and Venus Williams recently. How did that job come about and explain what that entailed? How hectic is their lives off-the-court? Share the duration of your experience with them, tell me something I don't know about them.

I was the hitting partner for Venus and Serena for about a year and a half. It came about because I was playing a future in Missouri, and its just miserable there and i was unhappy and ready to make a change and I got a call from their agent and he asked me if I would come out to LA and have kind of a trial run with them. I went out there and had a blast and we just clicked. They are great girls, and people dont understand that because they are in the spotlight everyday. They work extremely hard and are very motivated individuals. I would basically hit with both of them, and give them pointers when I would see them, and they responded to that very well. Unfortunently when i was working with them they were both injured so I didnt get to go to as many tournaments as I would have liked but now they are both doing great and im very excited for them. Their lives off court are insane. They both own their own business and are always asked to do charity events, and people are always wanting things for them. The papparazzi is always around them and it gets really frustrating sometimes. Something you may not know about them is they are some of the most outgoing people i have ever met, they are always joking around and having a good time and they love life and know how fortunate they are to be doing what they are doing. I love both them and still talk to them all the time. We grew to be close friends and I appreciate everything they did for me.

7) Another Williams question. Everyone wants to know, if you had to play Serena for $1 million on ESPN. Who would win or what did happen on the practice courts? Settle the issue now because people don't believe me when I say a guy #500 ATP or even the top collegiate players could win the Ladies US Open. Also, from your experience, would you coach a girl differently than you would coach a guy? Girls tend to hit flatter and men hit with much greater spin and defend better (with the exception of a few great movers such as Serena, Mauresmo, and Henin)

Well I'm not sure how to ansewer this question. I never lost a set to either of them in practice, however I don't know what would happen if we were playing for $1 million on ESPN because i have never been in that situtation and they have. Girls and guys tennis is so different, from the pace of the ball to the movement aspect. I did beat them on the practice sourts but I'm not sure what would happen if we played for a million dollars, I'm sure I would be a little tight.

8) If I were to create a UGT fund to help subsidize the costs for a US player, how would I go about selecting a player or a select few group of players? Do I take proven college players who earned the top US collegiate ranking? Do I take the first guy who cracks the top 250 ATP? Who needs the funds the most to make the biggest impact on tour from your experience? Do we pick the training environment or do they?

I think the best way to create players is to put them in the right enviroment. I feel the enviroment I had in Florida with Mardy and Andy and Stanford is the way to go. You get a few good juniors and develop them to be pros. You need a coach who understand what it takes and players who are willing to pay the price. You have to know when to push them and when to let them enjoy themself because if you dont them they will burn out and thats the last thing you want to happen. I think you could have a group of juniors and a group of top college players and give each set a coach and a good enviroment and let them battle with each other everyday, and travel together.

9) Lastly, what are you doing now? Where our your future plans in tennis?

I'm finishing school now and dont have any immediate plans. I am helping the team here at Georgia and will be with them throughout the NCAA tournament. I want to stay in tennis, but just need to figure out what the best situtation for me is. I would love to try and develop some young players, but I also love the aspect of college tennis. Tennis is what I know best and I hope to stay involved it in one way or another.

Matt Knoll Riding the Wave

2007-05-16T10:17:35.930Z

At 3:07 in the AM, I am finally getting my head together to write this article. I want to apologize in advance if my thoughts do not seem coherent as you read along.

After a busy day of doing nothing, I am procrastinating for the big trip tomorrow to Atlanta from where I'll embark to Athens the following morning just in time for the 1st round. A large part of my packing involves getting the iPod cocked and loaded with the latest hip-hop tracks and subscribed vidcasts for the long flight ahead. Also, I am jotting down a note to purchase a recommended read by John Tarrant titled "The Light Inside the Dark" just in-case I get tired of looking through the in-flight magazine a couple dozen times.

Moving on to business, I want to share a few videos of the undefeated Illinois team from 2003. Many parallels can be drawn between Georgia and the 2003 Illinois team, so I thought why not let a picture tell a thousand words:

The picture at the top is what I REALLY wanted to show you today (Matt Knoll ridinig the wave). I had a video of Benjamin Becker at #2 singles from the 2004 NCAA Team Championship Final along with Baylor doing the victory dance. I also had an amazing clip of Gruendler of UCLA knocking off GD Jones of Illinois at #6 singles to end the Illinois win-streak highlighted in the video above. When I find the videos, I'll release them- they are somewhere around here.

In the video below is Amer Delic (ATP player, NCAA Singles Champ, and former #1 Illinois) talking about why he chose Illinois in the recruiting process.

If you guys can't get enough, here is the video of my surprise pick to make the Sweet 16. Actually, Alabama was just outside the top 16 in the NCAA Rankings- so not really a surprise. Check out the 2007 highlight video.

Lastly, here is a video the 1999 Georgia squad that went all the way. Enjoy! This is Athens at its best.

Stage is Set for the Big Dance in Athens

2007-05-14T02:18:20.134Z

I was a little worried about my predictions earlier in the week, but almost everyone came through in the clutch. Over at TennisRecruiting.net, I predicted in a roundtable discussion that Alabama was my sleeper team into the Sweet 16. I really want to thank Alabama Head Coach Billy Pate for making me look smarter than I really am.

The bigger story is #6 North Carolina losing to NC State (above pic). I strongly voiced my opinion on UNC being "a very over-rated #6 in the country." I honestly thought UNC would get to the Sweet 16 and THEN lose.

The good news is NC State beat UNC for the first time since 1988 and made the Sweet 16 for the first time in NC State tennis history. Very cool.

Even though a disappointing finish to a great year, UNC established themselves as one of the premier teams in the nation. I always thought UNC should be a consistent top 10 program in the country. With the facilities they have and the respected academic institution behind it, there are no excuses for nothing less than excellence. In my mind, they are in the same sentence with mega-sports schools such as Florida, Georgia, Texas, UCLA, Michigan, etc.

The same goes for Michigan. Michigan grossly underachieved for many years. Mark my words, with good leadership at the helm- they'll be in the top 20 mix for many years to come. They have too many positives with the school, facilities, and public respect. It really goes to show that people make the program go.

Since we are talking about big schools, Florida chomped on Florida State after trailing 3-0. As predicted, 1, 2, and 3 had to win for Florida. What I didn't predict was Jordan Dolberg clinching the victory. I really thought UF had to secure the doubles point in order to march on to Athens.

For the full draws and tournament info, click here:

On the women's side, things were very clear cut. As I predicted, the top 16 teams were quite distinct this year. My big guess was for Arizona State to surprsise Cal.

As I stated before, tennis doesn't produce the parity evident in the NCAA Basketball tournament. With all the articles and debate on the blogs about foreigners in college tennis- we absolutely need foreigners to keep this sport diverse and competitive in college sports. I really believe the goal for most collegiate coaches is to not just win NCAA Championships, but to develop great people who will go on to benefit themselves and others through a sustainable career. This is what college tennis is all about- only 1 team gets to bring home the trophy each year.

The University of Georgia has released some excellent video content summarizing the matches on the 1st and 2nd rounds. Since I am Georgia'd out and will be getting an unhealthy dose of Georgia for the next 2-3 weeks, I am going to point you to one of the many videos in the Underground Video archives with a recap between Auburn and Georgia State.

Interview with Bo Hodge: Part 1

2007-05-12T08:30:23.758Z

Bo Hodge was a great talent to watch. When everything was clicking on-the-court and in-between the ears, I saw poetry in motion. Balls whizzed off his racquet effortlessly into the corners while his opponents were left scrambling and grimacing after each pressing shot. A lot can be said for style, but more impressively, he consistently got the job done when the chips were down.

Taking a trip into his past, I discovered some interesting answers and opinions through the eyes of a top US junior and collegiate player trying to break through to professionalism. As a B18 Kalamazoo Semifinalist and NCAA Rookie of the Year, he probably had more than enough talent and firepower to take down the best players in the world. He expresses slight regret about not going after his dreams with a plan, but quickly asserts he doesn't regret all the relationships he cultivated over the years.

After interviewing dozens of players who share a similar tennis pedigree to Bo, I often ask myself, "What's this all about?" Maybe there's a lot more to life than tapping a tennis ball around the court? What's wrong with having a little fun and enjoying the people and scenery along the way? Quite possibly, Bo knows something we don't know. No matter how you slice the issue, Bo seems to be genuinely happy about his path in life and that goes for all the others I interviewed in recent past.

Right now, Bo is the Volunteer Assistant for the undefeated Georgia Men's Team, all while pursuing a graduate degree. I am not going to lie- what is Manny D putting in the water in Athens? Bo as a traveling Volunteer, Isner-Flores-Helgeson at 1, 2, and 3, and US Open Junior Doubles Champs at #3 doubs!

1) Starting from the beginning, I want to know what fueled your development as a player throughout your juniors years. More importantly, I am interested in who taught you the fundamentals of the game (or were you just extremely talented which is a lot of intelligent tennis minds say) and who polished off your skills near the end of your junior years. Correct me if I am mistaken, but you trained under Stanford Boster with Andy Roddick and Mardy Fish to name a few. Was there anyone else in that group and talk about the training environment involved there?

I started playing tennis around the age of seven. I played all the other sports also, football, baseball, and basketball. I trained under a few coaches in Athens, where I was born but when I was 16 I knew if I wanted to make that next step I was going to have to make a change. So, I moved to Boca Raton to train with Andy Roddick, Geoff Boyd, and Chris Martin. It wasnt long after that John Roddick joined us to help coach Mardy Fish and David Martin. It was an amazing experience and it really took my tennis to the next level. I went to school with those guys, and battled with them on the court everyday, and traveled with them. They were like my brothers and it was an experience I will never forget. Stanford was very hard on us and I hated him at times, but looking back on it I wouldnt change anything. He pushed us to the limits and it made us all better players and better people.

2) What is your relationship with some of the big names in US men's tennis today including Blake, Roddick, Fish, and Ginepri since you grew up competing against them? Do they do anything differently than the #400 ATP player or top #5 NCAA player in terms of work ethic or does it boil down to talent? The bottom line is are they working THAT much harder and hitting the ball THAT much harder? Maybe give some specific examples of their training.

I have a great relationship with all those guys. When I was playing I lived with Mardy and James was our next door neighbor. Andy and Robby are friends of mine and I see them from time to time. They are all people who have helped me throughout the years. I would say the difference between those guys and others is that they always have one on one attention. That's something that someone 400 in the world might not have because its expensive, and in college it's a team sport with only 2 coaches. Also they devote everyday to tennis and when your in college you have other things going on in your life. They arent hitting the ball that much harder or working that much harder but they have more time and more money and that helps a ton. I know Mardy and James would hit either once or twice a day for about 2 hrs and then do about 1.5 hrs of conditioning. Everyone is different though.

3) Moving into your collegiate years, you did extremely well in your freshman year at Georgia. Many juniors struggle with the transition and hit a ceiling, where as your game was starting to come together. Taking it one step further, did you ever consider jumping straight from juniors to professional or college to professional? I only ask because a lot of your friends of similar age were doing similar things with the top US men to guys like Amer Delic and Bobby Reynolds. On the same token, some went for the jackpot to only fall short such as Levar Harper-Griffith.

When I moved to Florida, Stanford never gave us the option of going to college. He said he was training us to be pros, and I had that mindset as well, but unfortunently I had a few injuries and thought that the college route was the best for me. However, I never planned to stay 4 years and looking back on it I wish I would have left after my freshman year. I feel like I was ready, but I just loved the team atmosphere so much and loved Georgia and everything about it. Now after saying that, I don't regret the friends I made here and the relationships with my teamates and coaches. I had a great career here and loved every minute, but I do still wonder where I would be if I had left after my freshman year. You have to know when you are ready and you have to give it 100 percent and I dont think I did that. I just kind of went out and played without a plan or set out goals and that was a mistake.

4) How important does funding play a role in making one's dream become a reality. I am talking about the last leg of the journey, making a living as a professional. Can it be done without hiring a coach, no trainer, and eating on a cheap meal ticket? I am trying to wrap my head around the entire issue because it seems many spend so much money to get to the last part of the journey, only to skimp on the biggest things like coaching, off-court fitness, eating healthy, etc. I almost feel a lot of US talent is going to waste because many gifted players aren't given the means to make a run for the top when in fact, this is when the borderline US players need it the most!

I feel like funding is very important in developing a player. You simply can't do it without money. You have to have a coach, because its a long journey and there are gonna be many bumps in the road and you have to have someone there with you that you trust and can get you over the hump. But it's so expensive, paying someones salary along with their expenses. You can't do it by going week to week by yourself and eating the wrong things and staying 5 to a room. The reason you can't is because others are not and those are the ones who have a better shot of making it. I'm not saying its impossible, I'm just saying that if you want to give yourself the best chance then you have to have funding.

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...the remainder of the Bo Hodge interview will continue in a few days. Bo will share his experiences as a full-time traveling hitting partner for Serena and Venus Williams and who would win if they played for a million bucks. Can't get this anywhere else ladies and gentlemen, only on the Underground Tennis network.

NCAA Tournament Roundtable Discussion

2007-05-09T19:35:57.142Z

Here is a NCAA Tournament Preview I engaged with TennisRecruiting.net. I shared the roundtable discussion with Harry Cicma of Tennis Live, Marcia Frost of College and Junior Tennis, and Annette Broersma of College Tennis Online.

http://www.tennisrecruiting.net/article.asp?id=317

College Tennis Everywhere in the Video Archives

2007-05-08T22:54:34.012Z

I just uploaded a good number of clips of individual college players into the video archive. Also, be sure to check out the complete video archive- a lot of the first videos added are college coaches in the huddle such as Georgia, UCLA, Illinois, Notre Dame, Virginia, etc. As time progresses, I'll upload all the clips I have of players- but this is a very time consuming endeavour. Below- Here is a clip of Illinois in the huddle:

Also, I want to let everyone know that only 5 blogs or articles will remain on the Main page at any given time. I have been getting a lot of questions about where are the "old articles." Well they are in the archives. In order to view older articles, all you have to do is go to the bottom of the Blog Posts section and click on View Articles. Not only are all the old articles there from the original UGT, but also all the comments that went along with those articles. In case you just joined, there are some great articles with a Jesse Levine interview being one of them.

The beauty of Underground Tennis is I have opened up the opportunity for anyone to write a blog post. The most recent articles from your "My Page" will show up on the main page for everyone to view. Hopefully as we garner more users, people will be compelled to write about a player, event, or topic that is close to them. As expected, if something posted is not really contributing to the website in an intelligent fashion- I'll delete it.

At the same time, adding a Discussion to the Forum is another possibility. I don't want to be making the topics all the time because I can get boring quick.

I did not know what to expect when I switched to the new look of UGT, but the first thing I noticed is the lack of comments. This might be a good or bad thing depending at how you look at it. In the long term, posting Anonymously will be an option. Of course, it would be nice if everyone truthfully revealed themselves because if you have something to say- we want to know who is saying it and I'm sure most would commend you for sticking by your name.

Currently, the sign-in process allows for people to form bogus profiles or acting like someone they are not. I have the power to ban anyone from the network and I have already done so due to some inappropriate behavior. I work too long and hard on Underground Tennis to let a few rotten apples ruin it for everyone else. In the future, I could legitamize profiles by mailing passwords to your e-mail address- but I'm giving everyone the benefit of the doubt for the time being.

Another exciting feature I'll be adding is groups. People will be able to form their own creative groups and ask people to join. The reality is UGT is barely known to anyone, but hopefully that will change with time, marketing, and some exciting partnerships in the cards.

I want to inform everyone that if I am at an event starting at the latest Easter Bowl, I am taking action photography and video. If you saw me on your court taking a picture or snapping some video, there is a good chance it might end up online. The action photography photos are free for you to use and all you need to do is perform a search. If you see a friend of yours in the Photos Archive- tell them about their photos. The photos are for you, not me.

Lastly, if anyone has videos of themselves or highlight videos from their respective college- upload the sucker! Georgia is going to steal the show because that's all I have, so to prevent that, please upload some content to help promote your respective programs. In a short amount of time, there very well could be a solid number of junior players.

For future reference, I am doing media stuff at the NCAA's and the Nats at the Zoo. Do not hesitate to talk to me because for one, I love tennis and for two, I'm an extremely open person. :)