The Michigan Daily -Sports Monday- April 8, 1991 - Page 5
4F* MEN'S TENNIS 1991 *

Lineup has not
*yet been tested
by Becky Weiss
Daily Sports Writer
With five Big Ten matches to play in the next two
weeks, much is left to be determined for the men's ten-
nis team.
"We've got a very talented team," No. 4 singles
player John Karzen said, "but we're pretty much
untested. These next two weeks are pivotal because we
don't know where we stand."
This is especially true of No. 1 singles player David
Kass, ranked sixth nationally and 16-5 on the season (2-
0 in the Big Ten).
To continue his winning ways, Michigan coach Brian
Eisner feels Kass must work on using serves and vol-
leys as a mix with his usual baseline strategy.
"David's style has always been one where he con-
trols the match with his ground strokes and quick-
ness," Eisner said. "He puts a lock on a person so he
doesn't know how to win a point after a while."
Eisner also said that Kass is working on using his
forehand to finish points.
Frosh No. 2 singles player Dan Brakus has the oppo-
site style of Kass, according to Eisner. Brakus' strength
lies in his power.
"He has great power in his serve and all the shots he
hits," Eisner said. "We want him up at the net, serving
and volleying."
Being 6-foot-3 makes net play easier, and Brakus has
been working on his serve-and-volley game in practice.
"He has to set up a point so he has good entry into
the net," Eisner said.
He also expressed concern about the transition
Brakus will make when the team moves outdoors. In
outdoor play, wind becomes a hindrance to players who
depend on the speed of their shots, since it can some-
times slow them down.
"It's easier for Dan indoors," Eisner said. "The
serve is more important. This will be a transition Dan
will have to make."

DOUBLE
Pairings are

Top row (left to right): Head Coach Brian Eisner, Benji Hoffman, Scooter Place, John Lingon, Eric Grand, Terry
London, Trainer Hank Handel, Assistant Coach Tim Madden. Bottom row (I to r): Danny Brakus, Mitch
Rubenstein, John Karzen, David Kass, Geoff Baird, Peter Kim, Scott Cuppett.

Like Brakus, sophomore No. 3 singles player Scott
Cuppett depends on his strength; however, it can occa-
sionally work to his disadvantage.
"He likes to use his power on his ground strokes,"
Eisner said. "But when he gets in trouble, he sometimes
overhits. He's worked on not being as emotional and
keeping calm."
Cuppett has high expectations for his continued
success at No. 3.
"I just want to go undefeated," Cuppett said. "And
at No. 3, I should be able to do that. If coach switches
me to No. 2 for a big match, I just hope I win."
Like Cuppett, Karzen said he likes to put away his
opponent early in the point. He describes his style as
"reckless," and he feels serving and volleying is the
strongest aspect of his game.

"He likes to finish his points at the net," Eisner
said. "I even want him to follow his returns into the
net."
Returns are the strength of No. 5 singles player, ju-
nior Mitch Rubenstein. Rubenstein is 2-0 in Big Ten
competition, winning in straight sets over opponents
from Northwestern and Wisconsin.
6-foot-2, 200 lb. frosh John Lingon also is a power
player. He moved into the No. 6 singles spot when
sophomore Terry London broke a finger. London will
redshirt this season.
To be in a position to realize their goal of a Big Ten
championship, the team must win the remainder of
their matches, according to Karzen. Though beginning
their conference schedule 2-0 has given the team confi-
dence, the next two weeks may present the Wolverines
their first true test.

still uncertain
by Becky Weiss
Daily Sports Writer
It is unusual that a team's talent works to its
disadvantage as it has in the case of the Michigan men's
tennis team.
Dual meet scores are determined by nine points -
six from singles competitions - and because of the
dominance of their individual players, the Wolverines
have rarely needed to send their doubles teams on the
court to win a dual match.
In addition to limited doubles experience,
"permanent" doubles pairings have only recently been
determined, and could still change. However, coach
Brian Eisner does not seem nervous about the uncertain
doubles situation.
"Trying to identify our best six doubles players is
very difficult," Eisner said. "And then we have to
determine which court each should return from. It
(doubles) is one of the last parts of putting the team
together."
One team Eisner did name at the beginning of the
season consists of No. 1 singles player David Kass and
No. 2 Dan Brakus. They have lost only one match in
their region, and if they go undefeated for the
remainder of the season, Eisner thinks they can be the
top-ranked team going into the NCAA tournament.
Still, Brakus feels that problems lie in their
personality differences, which are as evident as those in
their styles of play.
"He's more pumped up (on the court) and I keep it
all inside, which is one of the major problems," Brakus
said. "His (Kass') strength is his return of serve and
quickness, and I'm the opposite."
Brakus said in recent matches, they have had
difficulty holding Kass' serve. In practice, Kass is
working to improve his serve, while Brakus is trying to
be more aggressive at net.
Though the No. 2 doubles team of John Karzen and
Eric Grand has an 0-3 record this season, Eisner is
confident of future improvement. He feels their
strength is their similar style of play.
"They are an explosive team and they love to be at
net," said Eisner.
The No. 3 doubles team of Scott Cuppett and Mitch
Rubenstein has not seen dual match play, though
Cuppett said they are working well together in
practice.
"We're both playing so much better now," Cuppett
said. "We both return well. We're not the greatest
volleyers, but we volley as well as we need to to win."
Eisner considers the three doubles teams of
relatively equal ability. Cuppett said he would not be
surprised if the coach switched the second and third
doubles teams.
With the NCAA tournament a little over a month
away, the ever-changing doubles puzzle should finally
be falling into place.

Syou can make it here
you can Make it an wh ere'
by Jason Gomberg
Daily Sports Writer
Michigan men's tennis enjoys a rich tradition filled with success and
glory. The team's 31 Big Ten championships, including 16 consecutive
crowns from 1968 to '83, is more than all the other nine schools combined.
Former Wolverine standout Malivai Washington recently earned Rookie-
of-the-Year honors on the professional tennis tour.
However, right now the team is in somewhat of a quandary. Its outdoor
courts are useless, and the indoor courts at the Track and Tennis Building
are more suited for 60-yard dashes than for serving-and-volleying.
The Track and Tennis Building is a lovely facility, except for holding
both track and tennis. Coach Brian Eisner does not dwell on the dilemma,
but has a very frank opinion.
"If I had to rank the facilities in the Big Ten," Eisner said, "I would
have to rank ours tenth. We're the only team with no outdoor courts, and
our indoor courts - well, only Purdue is in a worse situation.
"It's an adequate practice court," he added, "but it's not good for
competing. You have to expend a lot of energy."
After years of abuse from a faulty underground drainage system, the
outdoor courts are cracked beyond repair. They now serve the Athletic
Department extremely well - as parking space. With only five indoor
courts, not only are the men unable to practice all at once, they also have to
share court space with the women. Moreover, when the track squad is on
the run, the tennis players have to sit.
Matches at the Track and Tennis building highlight other problems.
During a recent match against Northwestern, each player who dared
attack the net was forced to hit his approach shots with pinpoint accuracy.
Otherwise, he was asking to be a target dummy. The court is that slow.
Such flaws are glaring, but not necessarily bad.
"It (the Track and Tennis Building) gives us a distinct advantage,"
senior John Karzen said. "It teaches you to deal with less than perfect
conditions. And since we practice in the building, we know it well."
Tennis is like all other sports in demanding total concentration. At the
collegiate level, play is often stopped as the balls from other courts roll
through rallies. The players largely have to referee their own matches.
With its quirks, the Wolverines' facility places a premium on focus.
There are alternatives for the men's team, but each has faults. Eisner
owns Ann Arbor's Liberty Tennis Complex, a private facility with both
indoor and outdoor tennis courts. Liberty has plenty of courts for
practicing, and side retaining walls keep balls from rolling onto other
courts. However, its location far away from Michigan's campus makes
access a serious problem.
The Track and Tennis building is listed by the Big Ten as Michigan's
official home court. Eisner shifts matches to Liberty as often as possible,
but as the owner he is obligated to keep the club open for its members.
A possible solution would be a new tennis-only facility for both the
men and women. A location adjacent to the University golf course has been
approved, but no specific development plans have been made as of yet due to
a lack of sufficient funds.
"We have a desperate need for new facilities, but the money isn't there,"
Eisner said, "But rather than complaining, we just get out there and
practice. And, no recruit has ever not come to Michigan because the
facilities are bad.
"You win because of personal direction, not because of facilities."

I I

ROSTER
Nam
Danny Brakus
Geoff Baird
Scott Cuppett
Eric Grand
Benji Hoffman
John Karzen
David Kass
Peter Kim
John Lingon
Terry London
Scooter Place
Mitch Rubenstein

Fr.
Sr.
So.
Fr.
Fr.
Sr.
Jr.
Sr.
Fr.
So.
Fr.
Jr.

Hometown
Hamilton, Ont.
Glencoe, Ill.
Dayton, Ohio
Chestnut Ridge, N.Y.
Livingston, N.J.
Glencoe, Ill.
Columbus, Ohio
LaPorte, Ind.
Ann Arbor
Weston, Mass.
Bloomfield Hills, Mich.
Dundas, Ont.

LINEUP
No. 1 David Kass
No. 2 Danny Brakus
No. 3 Scott Cuppett
No. 4 John Karzen
No. 5 Mitch Rubenstein
No. 6 John Lingon
DOUBLmS
No. 1 Danny Brakus/
David Kass
No. 2 Eric Grand/
John Karzen
No. 3 Scott Cuppett
Mitch Rubenstein

Head Coach: Brian Eisner (22nd year)
Assistant Coach: Tim Madden (2nd year)

by Albert Lin
Daily Sports Writer
The 1989-90 season was a trying
one for Michigan men's tennis
coach Brian Eisner. The Wolverine
lineup had lost five of its six singles
players and finished 11-15, the first
losing season in Eisner's 21 years at
Michigan, and only the second in 51
years of Wolverine tennis.
But Eisner knew the Wolverines
would be back, led by the play of
junior David Kass.
Kass played last season in the
No. 1 singles slot vacated by
Malivai Washington. One may have.
expected him to crumble under the
pressure of becoming team leader in
only his second year, but the exact
opposite happened. He responded
brilliantly, earning All-America
honors as the 16th-ranked collegian
following his 36-15 campaign.
"Personally, it's better for me.
when (the others) are gone, because
I get to play No. 1 and better com-
petition," he said. "To be honest, I
didn't plan on playing anything but
No. 1 when I came here."
Kass started playing tennis at the
age of six, and by 12 was one of the
top players in the country in his age
group. Two years later, he left his
Columbus, Ohio, home and began:
attending the prestigious Bolletierri
Tennis Academy with the likes of
Andre Agassi and Jim Courier.
He was national champion as a,
14- and 15-year old, and won two
state singles titles - in Florida his
first year of high school, and back
home in Ohio his sophomore year.
By then, Kass was too good for
the competition. His senior year, he
played professional tournaments,

together, you've got a player that
just keeps coming at you. And it's a
very difficult challenge for anybody
to play against him."
Kass is working to improve his
other skills. Eisner is trying to
transform his pupil from a defensive
player into a more aggressive one.
Since a grueling three-set victory
over Michael Chang for the 1988
Easter Bowl championship - a
match he did not expect to win -
Kass' confidence has soared, and he
now expects to win every time he
steps onto the court.
At the moment, Kass plans to
graduate in a year and then embark
on his delayed professional career.
But he leaves open the possibility of
leaving after this season.
"Every day is a new day, and the
day I feel ready and comfortable
with the decision, I'll do it," he said.
"I wouldn't do it in the middle of a
season because of the team, so that
pretty much comes down to after
each year, if I'm ready. I wasn't
ready after last year; I was injured at
the end of the year. If after the
NCAAs I'm happy and I'm playing
well, maybe then. But unless things
fall into place with my game, and
I'm healthy, I'm not going to do it."
Kass does look back at his
decision to attend college with some
regret. He sees his peers on the tour,
and realizes that they are no worse
off for not continuing their educa-
tion. But Michigan has been, and
will continue to be, a learning
experience for him as a player and,
more importantly, as a person.
When he arrived in Ann Arbor,
Kass was a somewhat immature and
spoiled athlete. The college environ-

Kass journey to pro

as I wanted with the game I had.
There were some things I needed to
work on."
That fact, coupled with a serious
knee injury suffered in April of
1988 and a desire to "live a normal
life ... and do some other things for
a while," caused Kass to put off
joining the pro tour and led him to
Ann Arbor.
Kass stepped right into the
lineup of a team coming off a 26-5
season and a third-place national

16-5 record. He reached No.6 in the
latest rankings by crushing then No.
44 Steve Herdoiza of Northwestern,*
6-0,6-1. According to Eisner, Kass'
has the skills to go even further: all
the way to the top.
"If you're going to be an
outstanding player ... there's at
least two things you have to be able
to do that are outstanding," Eisner
said. "The two things that David has
that are really outstanding and are
professional-level skills are that,

..

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