Jesse Ferlianto

October 26, 2004

Hello everyone! My, it's great to be back again, filling you in on all that's been going on within Emory men's tennis this year. I really don't know where to start. After a long summer of being apart, it was nice for us to come back to our familiar home courts, practicing together with renewed spirits, eagerly anticipating the long, yet exciting season we have ahead of us.

We are fortunate that we did not lose many players from last year, and even acquired some new talented recruits. For example, we have a transfer from UNC-Chapel Hill named Andrew Watkins, who has dedicated a large portion of his high school and college days towards developing a set of really large shoulders to elevate his tennis game.

Hardy Ehlers, a seemingly self-effacing Woodruff Scholar from San Diego, has surprised us all by redefining the concept of on-court verbal intensity. Never a dull moment when you're on the court next to him during one of his off days!

Greg Sturman has brought with him a unique combination of fancy footwork and a persistent hunger; these are valuable traits that cannot be taught folks. Lastly, freshman Dylan Springer also brings a lot to the table. I feel confident that if there's anyone on the team who is qualified to give me hair maintenance advice, it would be him.

For those of you who have not attended an Emory tennis match before, I encourage you attend one this year. High-quality tennis aside, you will at least be in for a treat when you catch a glimpse of his radiant, silky locks of blonde. Need I also mention the fact that he's got more hats than any other type of clothing in his closet?

Add these fresh, young faces to the mix of seasoned, battle-hardened veterans and you've got your self a truly special bunch. This has been the best team chemistry in my three and a half years at Emory. Practices have become more enjoyable for all of us, partly because I sense even more unity of purpose. We all want another awesome season, and have all agreed that memorable seasons must be preceded by a lot of focused, consistent preparation.

Among all the sources of excitement is the imminence of our indoor tennis facility's completion. Come this spring, gone are the days where we have no other choice but to run stairs and indoor sprints due to inclement weather. I believe this development will help us tremendously in preparing for big matches throughout the season, rain or shine. I gaze in admiration of the roof project's beautiful success each time I walk by the P.E. Center, looking forward to the many days we'll be spending in there this spring.

Our fall season concluded on a positive note, as we walked away with the ITA regional singles and doubles championships. Yoji Masuoka, who only saw limited playing time last season, plowed through a very deep singles draw to earn his first All-America honors.

Some other region championship highlights include Tyson Ramsay and Josh Rubens' come from behind victory against Piedmont's No. 1 doubles team in the semifinals. The all-Emory doubles finals turned into a long see-saw thriller, with Alex Jacobs and Mark Odgers edging them out in the end, winning their astounding third regional championships together.

In singles play, we had all nine of our entrants advance to the round of 16, with Andrew Watkins playing a brilliant match to take down the tournament's No. 1 seed from Piedmont College. We had seven out of eight players represented in the quarterfinals as well. Not a shabby start to the season, by any measure. I believe it is also worthwhile to mention that we have six All-Americans on our roster this season.

At the ITA nationals, Yoji showed that his incredible week at regionals was not a fluke. He delivered yet another monster performance, earning third place. Alex and Mark ended the tournament on an encouraging note as well, as they quickly overcame a tough day one disappointment by winning their next two matches to earn them fifth in the tournament.

Somehow, I feel that the best of Emory tennis has yet to come. When it does come, I will be sure to let all of you know. Let's hope that it can all come together for us this spring.

Jesse Ferlianto is a junior from Canyon Country, Calif. He would love to answer e-mail questions from Emory recruits and fans.