“When you look back at Somdev and Treat ...”
When commentary about his current team usually includes the words, “Somdev Devvarman,” “Treat Huey” or some combination of the two, Virginia men’s tennis coach Brian Boland’s model of success is clear. But even if the former No. 1-ranked doubles tandem may be the prototype for the program, Boland said the formation of pairings does not always follow a strict formula.
“First and foremost, you try to find two guys that really like playing together and really believe in each other,” Boland said. “I’ve had doubles teams that were really successful that weren’t necessarily best friends off the court but really gelled together on the court.”
Part of gelling on the court comes from strong communication and the ability to make in-game adjustments. This skill has been instrumental for senior Dominic Inglot and sophomore Michael Shabaz, who make up one of Virginia’s top teams. When these two players are on the court together, the net player often will hand signal to indicate a read on an opponent’s serve.
“The main thing is before each serve we tell each other what we’re [going to] serve and what the net guy is [going to] do,” Shabaz said. “If we know one of the returners has a weaker, say, backhand return, we’ll definitely call whether the serve’s going to the back hand ... and depending on where they like to hit it, we make adjustments to where the net guy is [going to] move. So definitely the communication is huge in doubles — if you’re communicating well, good things are happening.”
The partnership between Inglot and Shabaz began midway through last year’s season, as Boland placed the pair in the No. 2 spot. Now, the team is ranked No. 14 in the nation and boasts a 19-3 record.
“Me and Michael complement each other well,” Inglot said. “We are kind of similar — we have the same mindset on the court, we know how to communicate with each other pretty well.”
Boland called the experience of playing together for nearly two years “a huge advantage.” Their experience was countered recently, however, as the pair dropped two matches to an unranked Duke pair and the No. 27 North Carolina team of junior Clay Donato and senior Taylor Fogleman. Indeed, as the team heads toward postseason play, its experience must be supplemented by refinements in strategy.
“We’re [going to] talk about our tactics — about who’s serving first — about what we want to tactically do at the beginning of the game,” Inglot said. “If we start off well, I really don’t think there’s a team in this country that can get a match against us and I feel really confident we can beat everyone.”
It is not only planned strategies and tactics that can lead to victories, however, but complementary game styles as well.
“You’d like someone that maybe is more of a setter, and someone who’s more of a hitter,” Boland said. “Someone like Somdev who made a lot of balls, and Treat, [who] put a lot of balls away.”
The latest example of this is Virginia’s other top doubles team, composed of sophomore Sanam Singh and junior Houston Barrick.
“Our game styles are so different,” Singh said. “Houston likes to scrap a lot of points — I’m different. I like to hit the ball, so he’s really good at the net and I complement him well from hitting from the baseline. It’s a good mix, and we’ve come together.”
The pair started playing together in the No. 3 spot about halfway through the 2007-08 season, giving the two plenty of experience to build upon for this year’s campaign. They have thrived in the No. 1 slot for the Cavaliers, posting an 18-3 record in dual matches. Currently, Singh and Barrick are ranked No. 6 in the nation, having ascended as high as No. 2 at one point this season. Their development — along with the consistent play of freshman Drew Courtney and junior Lee Singer in the No. 3 position — is a large reason why the No. 1 Cavaliers (24-0, 9-0 ACC) have dropped the doubles point only twice this season.
“We’ve been playing good doubles, and I feel we need to keep doing that if we want to do well in May,” Singh said, referring to Virginia’s national championship aspirations. “It’s certainly important to get the doubles point, especially when the conditions get harder and it’s away from home.”
Although it may be difficult to play in the shadow of one of the best college tennis players of all time, this year’s team — largely because of its strong doubles play — has a chance to accomplish something that Somdev Devvarman’s squad never did at Virginia: Win an NCAA Championship.
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