Men's Tennis Season Preview
January 12, 2011 | Men's Tennis
Jan. 12, 2011
The 2011 season promises to be very significant for the Husky men's tennis team. Washington has lined up a fantastic home schedule, centered around the ITA National Team Indoor Championships, which UW will host for the sixth time in program history. But most importantly are the expectations that the senior-laden roster has for the next five months.
This year looks to be the best chance in several years for the Huskies to contend in the Pac-10 and get the breakthrough victories that have been agonizingly close the past few seasons. Head Coach Matt Anger knows how consistently good the Huskies have been, after all, Washington has reached the NCAA tournament in every one of his previous 16 years at the helm, but the past two years the Huskies haven't been able to get over the hump against the very top teams.
"We only have one loss to a team that didn't finish in the year-end Top-20 over the past two years," says Anger. "However, we have zero wins against teams that finished in the Top-10. And in our rankings you are rewarded more for your wins than you are penalized for your losses."
Coach Anger has given the Huskies every opportunity this year to challenge, and hopefully beat the top teams in the country. The National Team Indoors promises at least three top-ranked opponents, in addition to a loaded regular season schedule featuring No. 2 USC, No. 6 UCLA, No. 8 Stanford, No. 19 California, No. 21 Pepperdine, and No. 25 Michigan.
"Well we have a minimum of 25 matches and 19 of them are at home which is the most we have had," says Anger of the difficult home slate. "I don't think I look at it as `Oh boy it's challenging' I look at is as opportunities, and I think our team is so solid that with all those opportunities I think we will break through and I think once our guys have the confidence that they can, we can start to do it consistently."
Looking to lead the way for the Huskies are a trio of seniors who have been mainstays in the singles lineup for the past three years. Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan, Martin Kildahl, and Tobi Obenaus have combined for 102 dual singles wins since 2008, and hope to extend their careers past the NCAA Regional round for the first time this spring.
"Absolutely I think we have been looking forward to this we've got so many seniors and I know they have been looking forward to this year," says Anger. "I think they are veterans and they have figured out a lot of things and see that they are more than capable, and certainly have their eyes on getting to the upper echelon of tennis this year."
Nedunchezhiyan, an All-Pac-10 selection the past two years, has been ranked in the Top-40 and will look to climb back up the rankings to that level which would mean a second trip to the NCAA Singles Championships. The No. 1 player for the Huskies for most of his career, Nedunchezhiyan's speed, forehand firepower, and on-court intensity have won a lot of big matches.
"Jeevan will definitely be one of our top guys, there's no doubt about it," says Anger. "He's a guy who plays those bigger matches with a lot of fire and emotion and plays his best. He is on track for a number of those career marks here at Washington. So he's got a lot to play for, for the team and individually. He's been in the NCAA tournament before, but I think he's capable of moving up a lot.
Kildahl, the Oslo, Norway heavy hitter, is moving better than ever according to Anger. His junior season started slowly after he missed the fall coming back from foot surgery, but Kildahl ended the spring impressively and after a solid fall season this year, he picked up his first career ITA singles ranking, starting off the dual season ranked 83rd.
"Martin missed out on the day-in, day-out time on court hitting tennis balls all last summer and fall, so he had a slow start, but you could see the progress; by the time we got to Pac-10 play he was doing as well as anyone on our team," Anger says. "I'm hoping with how solid he was in the fall, he's going to be able to start where he left off, and I think he can. Each day in practice I am amazed at how well he is moving on the court compared to last year."
The biggest leap of any Husky last season may have come from Obenaus, who was a consistent force in the lower half of the lineup, setting career bests in wins across the board and going 16-5 overall in dual singles play. But Anger thinks Obenaus has continued to sharpen his game, and could again move up another level.
"Tobi might be the most improved player on the team this year. I'd have to look back, but I'm not sure how many times I can say that about a senior being the most improved. But he spent a lot of time here in the summer, worked hard, and was very solid in the fall," Anger says. Obenaus fell ill during Regionals which hurt his chances there, but physically, "He's never been this healthy, and he's hitting the ball the best he has," says Anger. "I am really looking forward to him getting the rewards."
For Washington to take the next step in the rankings and in the NCAA tournament, they will likely need a big season from sophomore Kyle McMorrow, the Pac-10's top freshman one year ago. McMorrow heads into the dual season ranked 81st in singles, but still has a huge amount of what basketball pundits love to call upside. He went 17-6 in dual play last year, mostly at the No. 2 singles spot, and knocked off four ranked players. And all that was despite a hip injury that McMorrow fought through, needing surgery after the season ended.
"When I look at Kyle," says Anger, "he is definitely one of the guys playing his best tennis. He is hitting the ball better, he's understanding the game better, he's understanding how to work on his game better. He's always been motivated, but he's playing well, and I think what's nice for him is he sees the improvement. Sometimes I can see it and I have to tell guys they're getting better but they don't know. I think he sees it and feels it and so he's that much more energized. So he's definitely going to be moving up."
Like the team, McMorrow came up just short of a handful of signature wins during his freshman season and in the fall. Anger says it's just a matter of time before McMorrow scores a big upset to propel him up the rankings.
Another senior with starting experience that could find himself in the singles and doubles lineup is Brad Bator. The Bothell native took the fall season off but Anger has been instantly impressed with Bator's fitness level and ball-striking in his first few practices back.
"Brad last year was really a starter for us at six singles until he got sick and then he got hurt and had to have foot surgery. But he is totally recovered. He is very physical and physically fit. He looks like he stayed on top of things, I was pretty happy with what I saw from him," says Anger.
Senior Skyler Tateishi was also enjoying the best fall of his career, but it came to an abrupt and unfortunate end, as he tore the rotator cuff in his shoulder at Northwest Regionals, and will require surgery, ending his season. Coach Anger says the news was hard to hear but that Tateishi "is such a part of our team and he will remain that this year, and he will hopefully have a medical redshirt and be able to have a senior season next year."
Washington has added three newcomers to the program as well, all of whom look to have extremely bring futures in purple. Local fans will be most familiar with Tacoma native Max Manthou, who made headlines with an undefeated prep career at Kentwood High, winning four straight Washington state titles, a first in state history. Another local standout, Nicholas Kamisar of Sammamish, played at Skyline before turning his attention to national junior tournaments the past two years. Manthou got his first college action in the fall, while Kamisar will potentially redshirt the season, but his own high level of play is making that decision a tough one for Coach Anger.
"I told him that he is frustrating me because I want to redshirt him, and yet he keeps doing better and better and making me lose sleep thinking about what is best for his continued development," Anger says of Kamisar. "I really like his progress. He hits a laser forehand, consistently. But part of the improvement is he's moving better and becoming a little bit more well-rounded."
Manthou has a great feel for the game and good overall athleticism, but this will be the first year he's focused solely on tennis. He also played basketball growing up and all the way through high school, when Kentwood won the state title his senior year.
"I think college is going to be great for Max," says Anger. "He grew up here in the Northwest, and was just one of the top players from day one. Now in college, our Pac-10 level of tennis is such a step up, it's going to be great for him as he's able to play year-round against tougher competition. Initially, I think that step up is a bit of a shock, but I think he's a great competitor, good athlete, he's eager and learns, so he's going to be doing well for us."
That leaves the most newly minted Husky, Daniel Schmidt from Vienna, Austria, who just joined the team at the start of winter quarter. Schmidt will be eligible as a freshman from the get-go, and according to Coach Anger, has the talent to jump right into the mix for a starting singles spot.
"Daniel's a very nice guy, and we've only had him the two days at practice, but already guys are impressed and very happy to have him as a teammate. I think he'll be helping us this year."
Looking at the doubles lineup, Anger is pleased with his top two teams, Nedunchezhiyan with McMorrow, and Kildahl with Obenaus, as both had a lot of success in the fall. Tinkering with that third team, with a wide array of options, will be an early storyline for Washington.
"Matt Stith and Max Manthou were doing pretty well in practice but struggled in the tournaments. But we had some parts that we weren't able to try in the fall," says Anger. "Brad wasn't here in the fall, Marton still was not able to play in the fall so he didn't get to play the collegiate events, and Daniel wasn't here either, so none of those parts were able to work here together or with Matt and Max. So we've got five pieces there and I think we've got five good parts, it's just which two are going to mesh the best."
With so much depth, a home schedule loaded with potential big matches, and a senior-laden team that wants to leave its mark, it's easy to see why after 16 seasons, Coach Anger is still as fired up as ever for play to begin.
"I look out and so many of our guys are playing far and away the best tennis of their lives; you've got to be excited about this season."
Players Mentioned
