The men’s tennis team is in Lexington, Ky. this weekend competing in the regionals of the National Indoor Championships.
Head coach Per Nilsson called this the biggest tournament the Bulldogs will compete in this fall.
“Everybody’s there from our region, so all the top schools are there,” Nilsson said. “For the new guys, they can see all the best players and kind of compare themselves to them and see where they are.”
For most of the 121 players, this tournament provides valuable experience against quality competition and an opportunity to improve. For the two individual players and two doubles pairs that make it to the final match this weekend, it is a guaranteed ticket to the championships next month.
Only 32 singles players, and likewise 32 doubles pairs, compete in the championships, held in Virginia in November. There are eight regional tournaments this weekend, and the finalists from each region advance. The other 16 players and pairs are selected based on rankings.
Nilsson downplayed the differences between playing indoors and outside play.
“In the past, all indoor courts used to be so fast,” Nilsson said. “Over the years they’ve slowed down the courts to where they’re pretty much the same as an outdoor court.”
He added some players do perform better indoors.
“There are some guys that feel really comfortable playing indoors, and there are some that, for some reason, don’t seem to handle it as well,” Nilsson said.
Junior Chris Doerr said he counts himself among those that thrive indoors.
He said the faster court and lower bounce are more similar to the courts he is used to playing on in his home country, England.
Doerr’s doubles partner, sophomore Tanner Stump, also prefers the indoor game.
“It benefits my game because I rush the net, so the faster surface definitely helps me,” Stump said.
He added that the surface especially helps his doubles game.
Stump and Doerr are not the only doubles pair in action this weekend. Senior Ryan Farlow and sophomore Antonio Lastre are also paired up to play.
Freshman Daniel Sanchez, originally slated to pair with Lastre, was scratched due to doubt whether he’d make it to Lexington in time; the change was made due to Sanchez’s impressive run to qualify for the Hammond Futures in Hammond, La. He eventually fell to Travis Helgeson of Georgia on Wednesday and joined his teammates in Lexington. Sanchez will compete in singles action.