Q & A With Daniel Chu
April 21, 2006
Washington men's tennis has two more dual matches ahead with Pac-10 title hopes riding on the results versus Oregon this Saturday and California on Wednesday. The Huskies are in good position having won four straight conference matches that included a first-ever road sweep of the Arizona schools and the first-ever season sweep of the L.A. schools. Husky junior Daniel Chu has played a huge role in Washington's success this season. Chu has won three straight singles matches, including clinching wins over USC and Arizona. He also pairs with junior Alex Slovic to complete the squad's No. 1 doubles duo, nationally ranked for much of the season. Chu sat down to talk with GoHuskies.com correspondent Breanne Watson prior to UW's regular season home finale with Oregon.
GoHuskies.com: Last week you had the clinching match against USC, and also won your singles match vs. UCLA, can you talk a little bit about that and the sweep of the LA schools?
Daniel Chu: "Well it was amazing--the atmosphere, the crowd, the players, the team. I think everyone was really pumped up to play these matches, especially coming off a great weekend in Arizona. I think that was the first time ever that we swept both Arizonas. So sweeping both LA schools also gave us a great boost in our confidence. I think everyone was pleased."
GH: You have Oregon this Saturday and the make-up match against Cal before the Pac-10 Championships. What is the attitude of the team knowing that winning these matches, UW can clinch a share of the Pac-10 title for the second straight year?
DC: "I think everyone is really excited. I think the team atmosphere is really pumped up right now. But when we start playing, the guys are going to be even more excited, and I bet they can't wait to play Cal again."
GH: What has it been like playing doubles with Alex Slovic? What makes you two click so well on the court?
DC: "We are kind of good friends off the court. We don't hang out, but we have classes together. Our chemistry is pretty good. We are good friends. He is easy to talk to."
GH: How do you feel you and Alex's chances are of making the Pac-10 finals like you two did last year?
DC: "We are going to shoot to win it this year."
GH: Can you talk about what it is like having your younger brother David on the team?
DC: "I think it is great opportunity for him, and it helps me a lot too. It just brings a family member over here, so it is easier for me to get accustomed, and it is easy for him to get accustomed. So we are learning together, and it is just like living at home. We lived together at home as well--we shared rooms. Living in the same apartment is easy for us. He does the cooking (Laughing)."
GH: What has been your most memorable match at UW?
DC: "That's going to be a tie between USC, clinching, and Virginia, clinching that one. Virginia was Top-10 and USC wasn't, but because it was a 3-3 tie and it was in the third-set tiebreaker. I had some match points in the second set and I didn't take those, so I really wanted to win that tiebreaker and when it came down to the clinching match that just elevated the level."
GH: What has been the most challenging part of your career?
DC: "Getting accustomed to the college system, being aware of everything that's going on - that's probably the toughest. But now I'm getting used to it."
GH: You and I share the same hometown (Vancouver, B.C.). Can you talk about tennis in Canada and how it prepared you for U.S. collegiate tennis?
DC: "Tennis in Canada isn't as strong as in the American system, we definitely don't have as strong a program because of our population and we don't have the budget to send kids all over the place. I used to travel with Tennis Canada to Europe and places like that. I remember going to Florida every December - they used to take 8-9 kids but now they've cut it down to 3-4. The budget's really low. In Vancouver, the Westside has never really been known for great tennis players, it's mostly the Eastside - Toronto.
GH: What factored into your decision to come to UW and not go to another U.S. school or stay in Canada?
DC: "Probably the scholarship and the chance to be able to play tennis and go to school at the same time. Canadian schools don't have scholarships and they don't have tennis teams. I think there's maybe one school in Calgary - they have a women's team. The city is very nice and it's pretty close (to home)."
GH: What do you like to do in your spare time when you're not playing tennis?
DC: "Studying, playing computer games or playing the piano."
GH: What's something people don't know about you?
DC: "I actually have played the piano longer than I've played tennis, probably since I was four."
