Bulldogs Excited To Open Season At EWU/GU Classic
9/23/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Sept. 23, 2010
SPOKANE, Wash. - The fall season is an exciting time for sixth-year Gonzaga University head men's tennis coach Peter MacDonald as the Bulldogs open their 2010-11 season Friday co-hosting the Eastern Washington University/Gonzaga University Classic held in Cheney, Wash.
After this weekend's tournament the Bulldogs will take part in the Boise State University Fall Classic Oct. 8-10, the ITA Regionals in Stanford, Calif., Oct. 15-19 and the PNW Intercollegiates in Seattle, Nov. 5-7. Although last year the Zags competed in three tournaments, this year MacDonald added an extra tournament to the schedule so the Bulldogs can get an idea of what they need to improve over the winter.
"All these tournaments are an opportunity for the guys to get some match play and experience under their belt, especially for the incoming freshmen," MacDonald said. "This year I added one more tournament. I like having more tournaments because I believe anyone can have a bad tournament or two. But if you have one good tournament, that's a great launching pad into your spring season. It gives you the motivation to train hard over the winter break and come back strong. That's what I learned."
Six student-athletes are returning off a team that posted seven wins last spring. One of the key leaders will be sophomore Levin Guillermo, who will look to improve from a team second-best 10-win singles last year. Also returning to the Bulldogs are seniors Kevin Eischen and Conor Feeney and juniors Tyler Campbell, Jake Davis, and Scott Sullivan. Sullivan was one of two Bulldogs to win a PNW Intercollegiates Singles Consolation bracket last season, claiming the Flight B title.
The Zags welcome three newcomers to the team this season. Junior Zhia Hwa Chong joins the Zags as a transfer from Lewis-Clark State College and this year's freshmen include Pablo Mosquera Pérez, Muzeen Ismath and Jack Schoebel. A native of Ourense, Spain,
Mosquera Pérez joins the Zags with an impressive resume. He is currently ranked No. 135 and has been ranked as high as 112 in the men's open rankings in Spain. In addition, Mosquera Pérez has been ranked in the top 20 in the Spanish Under-18 ranking and in the top 200 in the Under-14 and Under-16 European rankings. He has also reached the quarterfinal in the Spanish Official championship. At the age of 12, Mosquera Pérez won the Azores Open 2004, both in singles and doubles.
"On paper Pablo is one of our better recruits we've ever had," MacDonald said. "I'm excited to see what kind of impact he can make his freshman year."
Currently ranked in the top 40 in the boy's 18-and-under ranking in Canada, Ismath has competed in the national and international levels, from Under-12 to Under-18. The native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, has represented the provincial team as the No. 1 singles player in the Canada Games. Having played in the Manitoba Open, Ismath won a mixed doubles title and has reached the semifinals in singles and doubles. This past summer, he reached the quarterfinal of a grade 5 International Tennis Federation tournament at the Winnipeg Lawn and Tennis Club.
"Muzeen is a strong athletic kid with a strong work ethic," MacDonald said. "He is one of those guys that haven't even touched his potential on how good I think he can he get. He's going to be very good."
Chong, who hails from Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia, joins the Zags after playing at Lewis-Clark State College as a freshman and sophomore. With the Warriors, Chong posted a career record of 22-21 in singles and 21-19 in doubles. Prior to joining the Warriors, Chong was selected No. 1 in the Malaysian Boys Under-14 and the top three in the Under-16 rankings.
"I've actually watched Zhia Hwa the last two seasons so I knew exactly what type of player I was getting," MacDonald said. "He is very consistent and talented on the court. I think he's going to bring a lot to the table."
Although the Bulldogs will be competing individually during the fall, their head coach will be mixing the doubles in each tournament to determine the right pairs for the spring.
"That's what tournaments are for," MacDonald said. "It gives me a chance to do a lot of different doubles combinations and hopefully find something that will work for the spring."
