Men’s tennis takes to road for two tournaments this weekend

The USC men’s tennis team will be busy this upcoming weekend as players will participate in two tournaments.

The headlining event is the 2010 ITA/D’Novo Men’s All-American Championships, with three Trojans taking part in competition on Oct. 2 in Tulsa, Okla.

Nationally ranked juniors Steve Johnson and Daniel Nguyen, No. 7 and No. 42 respectively, will be participating in the main draw of the singles tournament. The pair is also ranked No. 9 in doubles, and will compete in the main doubles draw.

Johnson advanced to the semifinals of the singles portion of the tournament last season.
No. 90 senior Peter Lucassen will join the duo in the tournament, and will participate in the qualifying rounds.

Past winners of this event include notable professionals including James Blake, John Isner, and Mike and Bob Bryan — winners of the 2010 US Open Doubles Championship.

Three other Trojans will head up to Northern California to participate in the Battle in the Bay Classic, hosted by the University of San Francisco.

No. 102 sophomore JT Sundling and freshmen Raymond Sarmiento and Michael Grant will participate, with Sundling and Sarmiento teaming up in the doubles draw.

“I’m really excited to be on court with them,” said coach Peter Smith — who will be joining the players in the Bay area. “[Sundling] has been making strides on the practice court. I’m anxious to see how that translates to tournament play.”

This event will feature players from six schools in California along with four professional exhibition players.

The winner of the event will earn a wild card bid to the Tiburon Challenger — a tournament on the ATP Challenger Tour.

Also earning a national ranking but not competing this weekend is senior Jaak Poldma, ranked No. 65 prior to competitive play. Additionally, Sarmiento is ranked as the No. 9 freshman/newcomer in the country.

The two freshmen look to gain valuable experience in the pressure cooker that is the USC men’s tennis program. They are seen as potential contributors to the regular lineup once the team season commences.

When asked about the main adjustment for freshmen as they transition into the collegiate game, Smith responded, “Playing for USC. If they are afraid of expectations, then this is not the right place for them.”

The competition, meanwhile, will look to prove itself against the Trojans this weekend. Match play in the beginning of the season is imperative to discovering how the players will handle their opponents’ best efforts on court.

“All of the kids [including newcomers] are national champions,” Smith said. “Everyone will be up for us.”

The overarching goal of the USC men’s tennis program year after year is to peak right before entering the NCAA tournament. In the end, the more matches everyone plays the better prepared the team will be for the championships.

“It’s more important to play in these smaller tournaments to get that match experience,” Smith said.