Twice the fun for tennis teammates

It is not uncommon to see the men's tennis team's two biggest pranksters leading an after-practice punishment run, two heavy bricks in each hand.

Nikesh Singh Panthlia and Yules Hadisubroto are a talented doubles team, and although they are dedicated to their sport, they have a unique way of enjoying tennis, sometimes spending almost too much of their practice time playing practical jokes and throwing temper-tantrums.

Both having played tennis since the age of 7, the now-dominant duo met for the first time under intense pressure in 1999 at the World Junior's tennis tournament. Playing for rival countries, each came to the games to win.

At the end of the day, Singh Panthlia returned to his home country of Malaysia, and Hadisubroto to Indonesia.

"We were enemies," Singh Panthlia said, describing his first encounter with Hadisubroto.

Both found their admiration for tennis through a father's encouragement. While each spent the better part of his life actively playing, Hadisubroto says he wasn't always so enthusiastic about the game.

"At first I was just goofing around. Then when I was ten, my dad forced me, for seven years, to play," Hadisubroto said. "I actually didn't like it so much, but whatever. He was thinking 'It's good to play tennis and invest something in your school.' I didn't get it, but I got it now."

Six years after traveling to juniors as foes, both made the trek to America where they became teammates. Singh Panthlia and Hadisubroto brought their skills and their fathers' hopes for the chance to play in UB's Division I tennis program. Having never played together before, neither knew what to expect of the others' performance.

"(When I first practiced with Singh Panthlia) I thought 'He's not that great.' He didn't come from a Division I school, and he wasn't number one so I didn't think he would be that good," Hadisubroto said. "But after a couple practices, he actually beat me."

Singh Panthlia said he could tell Hadisubroto was a strong player from the get-go, saying he had good hands, and as soon as they began playing together he could tell they were a good combination.

"We started showing each other signs in our own language and we have a good understanding of each other," said Singh Panthlia. "As we go along, we just got the hang of it."

Although the teammates are from different countries, both speak the same native language of Malay. Singh Panthlia said speaking a different language than their opponents helps them succeed as a doubles team. Pump-up phrases most people understand as "come-on" and "let's go," sound completely foreign to the team's opponents, which Hadisubroto says can be truly intimidating for those on the other side of the net.

"No one can touch us when we have that high intensity," Hadisubroto said. "We push each other in our own language, saying things like 'either you do or you die!'"

With a record of 7-1, the persevering pair has proved their compatibility on the court. But it is the duo's ability to have fun together and truly enjoy their talents that makes them such a high-functioning team.

Although they don't have much time to spend together outside of tennis, they often make due with the time they have in practice by cracking jokes, which sometimes results in mass punishment for the team.

"One of our teammates looks like a donkey and (Hadisubroto) makes donkey noises, so I start laughing," Singh Panthlia said. "The guy that looks like a donkey gets pissed and I get influenced to continue the same joke."

The jokesters make an entertaining combination, finishing each other's sentences and poking fun at each other's lack of girlfriends. But when it's time to get serious about a match, Singh Panthlia finds calmness in the locker room as he meditates, while Hadisubroto finds solace in a steamy shower.

When the duo meets, ready to make a heavy impression on their opponents, they know exactly what to expect from each other. Both players say it's the confidence in their unity that gives them the winning edge over other doubles teams.

"I don't know how to figure it with words, but it's just a feeling," Hadisubroto said when describing his assurance in his teammate. "You can have a partner that's great, but if you're not feeling it, then you won't enjoy it. It's friendship. Me and him have a good relationship."