Following a disappointing end to 2010, the men's tennis team opened its season at the Princeton Invitational this past weekend in hopes of redemption.
The Tigers hosted five singles and three doubles tournaments from Friday morning to Sunday afternoon. Seven Bulls combined for a 16-10 overall record against a combination of players from nine different schools in the event.
Buffalo's doubles team of freshman, Ivan Vereshchaga, and sophomore, Travis Zappia, breezed by Cornell, 8-3, and Columbia, 8-2, before dismantling Yale, 8-2, in the tournament finals to clinch the "C" doubles title for the Bulls.
"Good collegiate doubles is about being aggressive," said head coach Lee Nickell. "And those two both did a very good job of coming forward and executing volleys."
Another bright spot for the Bulls was freshman sensation Damien David and his performance in the "B" singles bracket. David shut out three straight opponents before losing to Penn State's Tomas Hanzlik in the finals in three sets, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3. David did not drop a single set in his first three matches. He eliminated an upperclassman from the University of Pennsylvania then another from Penn State.
In the semifinals, David beat Williamsville native Winston Lin of Columbia University, 6-3, 6-1. David's run ended in the finals when Penn State's Hanzlik won in three sets, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3.
Nickell was very impressed with David, a native of Montreal, Quebec.
"[David] is exceptional at playing defense; he's very athletic and moves very well," Nickell said. "He can also be aggressive. We've just got to get him to be [more aggressive]…he's got all the tools to be an All-American, for sure."
The two freshmen, Vereshchaga and David, combined for a 5-2 record in singles play.
The Bulls started the weekend with inconsistent play, but eventually found success. They won more than half of their opening matches despite steering away from their aggressive game plan. The Bulls discussed what needed to be done and on Saturday, followed their plan more diligently.
Buffalo found that their opponents had stepped it up as well.
"It's kind of funny, the next day we went out and executed a lot better we didn't quite have as many wins," Nickell said. "But we did exactly what we had planned in terms of what we had learned from our first matches."
Nickell explained that the fall season is used in preparation for their competitive season in the spring. He experiments with different doubles combinations in order to find chemistry among players, while stressing the importance of strategy to each of his players. Nickell wants his players to commit to a more aggressive style, but he understands that some players use a more defensive strategy in an effort to force mistakes by opponents.
The team also understands that the fall season carries a steep learning curve.
"[The fall tournaments are] tough situations [and] tough matches," said junior Vusa Hove. "The coaches are there, mentoring what we are doing. [Nickell is] instructing us what to do and he's doing a great job helping us with our weaknesses."
Every Buffalo player that participated in the invitational won at one least match in either singles or doubles.
The Bulls look to continue their winning ways at home as they host the UB Invitational this weekend. The matches can be seen all weekend at the Miller Tennis Center.
Email: sports@ubspectrum.com
Photo: Paul Hokanson/UB Athletics
Photo: Paul Hokanson / UB Athletics
