Men’s tennis wishing for a raucous crowd this afternoon

By Jerry Ratcliffe

Big moment this afternoon for Virginia’s men’s tennis team when the No. 7 seed Cavaliers host Big 12 champion and 10th-seeded Arizona at Boar’s Head (1 p.m., free admission).

If you’re looking for great entertainment and a great sports storylines, this is your (free) ticket. Your support is meaningful, just as much as it has been at JPJ, Scott, Disharoon.

One thing this writer has noticed while covering numerous national college tennis championships around the country — and particularly with trips to Georgia, where the Bulldogs used to rule over the sport — is how crowds, especially in Athens, could make a huge difference. Several times, the raucous crowds at UGA’s tennis center helped the Dawgs upset more-talented teams.

Virginia coach Andres Pedroso would love to see that kind of crowd show up at Boar’s Head today.

You’ll see a talented Virginia team, a team that at times this season has started five — yes, count ‘em, five — freshmen and still made it to the Round of 16 with a trip to Waco awaiting today’s winner for the NCAA quarterfinals. You’ll see a solid Arizona team and contrasting program styles between the Wildcats and the Cavaliers, a different culture, a different style.

“[Arizona] competes really well,” said Pedroso. “They’re a pretty loud team from what I hear. When you think of how electric college tennis can be and how different it is from pro tennis, I think Arizona does a good job of putting that on display.”

Loud? Unusual for tennis, right? Not so with the Wildcats. Pedroso explains:

“Everyone’s got their own identity,” the UVA coach said. “Some teams are quieter than others. From what I hear, this team likes to scream and yell and they like to make their presence felt. It’s going to be two different identities out there battling it out.”

Pedroso’s team is a lot more reserved, lets its racquets do the talking, and will leave the noise up to the fans.

“There’s nothing like playing a home match against a top-10 team here in Charlottesville,” Pedroso said. “The tentacles of that support is not just the matches, it’s also the reaching out to helping our kids find jobs, prepare for interviews and helping them become more comfortable when they first arrive in Charlottesville. The support we get from the community is absolutely incredible and a huge reason why this program has done so well and been so consistent.

“I would tell every fan out there, every supporter that has a pocket of time to dedicate to our program today, that their presence definitely moves the needle and inspires our guys. It helps us not only in the match, but also to continue to grow our tradition and that mystique that’s made this program so special.”

Pedroso travels the world in search of the best talent to bring to Virginia’s program, and he always makes a point to talk to recruits and their families about what makes UVA tennis so special. It’s his secret weapon when it comes to attracting great players.

“All these guys played in the biggest events on the international junior tour, so I knew they could play tennis,” Pedroso said in explaining what makes Virginia’s culture different. “First of all, they had to get used to UVA academics, getting used to the routines that it takes to make this experience super productive.

“Then, the season comes along in January and dealing with the travel and missing classes and managing both sides, but also just the culture and the things that come with our culture in how we train, how we compete, how we speak to each other, how we treat each other, how we greet people at the Boar’s Head, all the things that I think make our culture special.”

Pedroso said that tennis is a very selfish sport, in junior tennis and in the pros, and players easily get self absorbed. Then they walk into a program like his where thinking about the team comes first, thinking about others and that they are required to live by the motto of the more they give, the more they’re going to get back.

“That’s a new reality for a lot of kids,” the coach said. “Our guys have bought in and that’s why we’re here right now, ranked No. 4 in the country and we’ve got a shot at it.”

That is how all that talent, all that culture has come together this season, inspired by the youth, cultivated by the leadership of the veterans on the team, to get the Cavaliers to Boar’s Head today.

It’s how this team is likely the only team in America that has claimed victories over not one, but two No. 1-ranked opponents (Wake Forest and Texas) this season.

“When we play a complete match, when we prepare, which we are, and we show up with the right energy and we play a complete match for two, three, four hours, however long it takes, it’s a big reason why we were able to beat two Number Ones,” Pedroso said. “That shows we can beat anyone, but we have to be there the entire match. We can’t get spooked or surprised when things don’t go our way or when the other team is just too good at times. We have to stay together and fight until the end. Then we’re tough to beat.”

One of the great stories in college tennis, or in the sports world this season, will be on display in freshman Jangjun Kim, who came to UVA from South Korea.

“He came here with a language barrier, but when I recruited this kid, I saw that he was such a hard worker,” Pedroso said. “He’s had a really tough life and he’s always had to go through the harder path to get to No. 10 in the world (juniors).”

Pedroso said Kim’s first couple of months at UVA were challenging academically — imagine arriving in another country with a language barrier and having to study and train and travel and compete, missing class — a daunting task for anyone.

“He’s handled it so well and he’s going to finish the semester with, I think, a 3.0,” the coach said. “That’s an incredible accomplishment for this kid and one of the best stories that we’ve ever been able to manifest in this program. And, he’s a really good player, has all the shots and is a killer on the court.”