Men’s tennis gears up for season, fills vacancies

The USC men’s tennis team has made a tradition of winning — more specifically, winning championships.

And coach Peter Smith is looking to keep it that way.

“Having won the NCAAs two times in a row, I don’t think changes anything we do,” Smith said. “Winning championships is nothing new for USC athletes.  That is the expectation we have every year.”

So, as the new season commences, the preparations and expectations for the defending 2009 and 2010 NCAA champions are the same as they have always been, despite a new volley of players.

To account for the loss of seniors Robert Farah — the reigning ITA Player of Year — and Jason McNaughton, the Trojans will introduce three new freshmen to the team for 2010.

Raymond Sarmiento, a Fontana, Calif. native who was rated second nationally in his recruiting class, Santa Barbara, Calif. native Michael Grant and Corey Smith from Point Loma, Calif., the coach’s nephew, will round out the side.

Veteran Steve Johnson thinks that the new blood, combined with the experience of the returning players, will allow USC to continue their streak of success.

“Those are certainly tough shoes to fill, but we have guys from last year coming back ready to step up, and hopefully a few of the new guys coming in will come in and bring a lot to the table,” he said.