TEN QUESTIONS WITH...

What was the significance of going undefeated in singles play at the St. Bonaventure Classic two weekends ago?
That was our first tournament of the fall, something that helps us get into the swing of things. It was a confidence booster for me, which will hopefully carry over throughout the remainder of the fall season.

How important is the fall season in regards to having a successful spring season?
This year, we are playing in four fall season tournaments. It just helps us see different types of players and different styles - similar to what we see during the Mid-American Conference season. It also works well as far as conditioning us and getting us in shape.

What is the difference between the fall tournaments and the matches you play during the spring?
Normally there are four or five teams in a tournament. Everyone is placed in a different flight. For example, there is a first singles group, a second singles group - all the way through sixth singles. Within each flight, you play someone from every team. That allows you to see a number of different styles of play.

What are the varying types of styles that you face?
There are grinders, who usually play from the baseline. They will hit a lot of shots in, but won't try to beat you outright by blasting the ball past you. Then there are hard hitters, who are often inconsistent because they take chances. They can draw you into a lot of unforced errors. Another style we see comes from the guys who serve and volley - they try to end the point quickly. You have to be prepared to face any of these styles.

What types of teams are competing in the Can-Am Invitational coming up this weekend that is being hosted by UB and Niagara?
There are four teams from Canada and four teams from the US that are playing. Similar to the other tournaments we've played in, it will be setup by flight. The only difference is that you can't play both singles and doubles, as you can in other tournaments. It will help Coach (Russ) Crispell figure out what types of combinations he can use come the spring season.

Aside from the tournaments, what else occurs during the fall season for your team?
Basically, just a lot of practice. We're working real hard and doing a lot of conditioning. Our goal is to be the MAC team that's in the best shape.

What types of drills are done in a standard practice?
Besides just hitting, we do a lot of mental conditioning. We're not allowed to throw any negatives out on the court. I can definitely say that it helps. We're trying to focus on using only positive emotions on the court. Also, we've looked at a lot of new strategies that we can use on the court during matches.

Do you prefer playing indoors or outdoors? What are the major differences between the two?
When you are indoors, you don't have the wind or sun to deal with - it really makes it a different game. The indoor game favors the harder hitters and serve-and-volley players, while the outdoor game is a little slower and favors the guys that can grind all day long and are in the best shape. Sometimes the transition between the two can be a difficult adjustment.

How often do you and your teammates watch ATP events? Is there anything you can learn from watching the professionals?
We try to watch as much as we can. When the US Open was on, we watched all-day long. You just have to study the way they play and try to pick up some of the things they do.

Over the summer, my teammate Nick Zieziula and I were fortunate enough to play a couple of pro circuit tournaments - which are Junior ATP or minor league events for tennis. It was a different experience to compete at that level.

How did you and Nick come about getting involved in those types of tournaments?
We just looked online at USTA.com, and there is usually one futures tournament every week in the country. We are fortunate enough to have one right here in the Buffalo area. As amateurs, we cannot accept money, but it's great to compete with guys at that level. There were about 128 players in the draw - some ranked as high as 300th in the world.

-The "10 Questions with…" feature is compiled by Geoff Nason.