Slovic and Chu: The Winning Combo
May 3, 2007
By Risa Pavia
The Daily
Alex Slovic and Daniel Chu may have come to Washington from opposite sides of the world, but to see them on the doubles court, you'd think that they'd been playing tennis together forever. Both left-handers with powerful serves and lethal two-handed backhands, Slovic and Chu have been breaking records on the court as easily as they have cemented their friendship off it.
"We're good friends," Slovic said. "He's a good player and an easygoing guy."
The duo, both finance majors in their senior year at the UW, took very different paths to arrive in Seattle.
Slovic, 25, was born in Pancevo, Serbia, a small town near Belgrade in the former nation of Yugoslavia. Although none of his family members played tennis, there was a large sports center in Pancevo where Slovic went to play, and where he first got hooked on tennis.
"I went and played at a camp during the summer, and that made me want to start playing," he said. "It was really fun, especially during the summer when there was no school and I got to spend time with other kids."
As Slovic began to get more serious about the sport, he began to travel and play tournaments with other junior tennis players from Serbia. One of those players, Alex Vlaski, was instrumental in Slovic's decision to become a Husky. Vlaski and Slovic played together at a club in Serbia, and then got to know each other as they traveled to tournaments, playing both together and against each other. After Vlaski came to the UW, he told his coaches about Slovic, who recruited him to the team.
For Chu, tennis has always been a family affair. His father was a recreational player who passed his passion for the game along to his son.
"When I was little, my dad would always play with his friends, and I would hang out at the court," Chu said. "After he was done I would play with him, and that's when I really took it up."
As Chu developed into a top-level junior player, he faced the choice of many young athletes: go to college or enter the professional circuit. With the help of someone at his club in Vancouver, British Columbia, Chu began to explore his options, getting information about universities and tennis programs.
"I started talking to coaches and trying to see where would fit me best," Daniel said. "I picked [the] UW because I was looking for a school that was good in academics as well as tennis, and because it's close to home. There's also great coaching here -- some of the best in the nation."
The academic strength of Washington is something that both Chu and Slovic appreciate.
But it's the time Daniel and Alex spend together on the court that has defined their years as Huskies. The pair has partnered as the No. 1 doubles team since their sophomore year. Although they had a brief stint with different partners at the beginning of this season, they reunited in February and have since gone 10-5. They were also named joint Pac-10 Men's Tennis Players of the Week at the end of March.
The two have an on-court understanding that has allowed them to notch wins over some of the top players in the nation.
"We have good chemistry," Chu said. "We work well together. I think our games really complement each other."
Slovic and Chu jointly hold the record for career doubles victories at Washington with 83 apiece, having smashed the previous record of 72 held by former Husky Eric Drew.
"I wasn't even counting, so it was a big surprise when [the] coach told me," Chu said of breaking the record. "It feels great. I just wanted to keep winning and make it harder for anyone to break it again."
Slovic also appreciates the legacy that their doubles success will leave at Washington.
"It's always good to be remembered," he said. "In general, we've been a strong doubles team, and we've beaten a lot of good opponents."
In their four years at the UW, Chu and Slovic have been part of one of the most successful periods in Husky tennis history. In the capable hands of coach Matt Anger, the Huskies have been to the NCAA championships for 13 years in a row, and have made it the Sweet Sixteen in five out of the past six seasons.
Slovic and Chu were both also part of the team that tied for first in the Pac-10 conference in 2005, a season which both say was one of the most memorable in their time as Huskies.
"Winning the Pac-10 championship was great," Chu said. "The drive home was really memorable -- I remember singing `We are the Champions' the whole way."
Slovic agrees about the unforgettable nature of that 2005 season, but it wasn't his favorite as a Husky.
"Sophomore year, when we won the Pac-10 title, was probably the best, as far as how we did," he said. "But last year was the most fun. The team was great, and we had a lot of great guys. I would say it was almost perfect."
As their final season at Washington draws to a close, Chu and Slovic are preparing for life after Husky tennis. Slovic, who has 11 credits left before graduation, will return to the UW in the fall for his final quarter before beginning the job search. Chu, who graduates after this quarter, will try his luck on the professional tennis circuit.
Both agree that adjustment to life after college will be strange.
"I'll miss the team atmosphere," Chu said. "It was different coming from the juniors to college, and coming from an individual to a team sport. It will be kind of a shock going back."
Slovic will also miss his time as a Husky tennis player.
"I'm going to miss being part of the team -- traveling, playing tournaments, winning," he said. "I've spent a lot of time playing tennis at [the] UW -- it's going to be strange not doing it anymore."
