How did you get started playing
tennis?
I started playing tennis in high school back in New Jersey when
my friends and I would play recreationally at the local courts. We all
decided to join the high school tennis team as a goof, but I'm the only one who
actually followed through! I was really bad then, I didn't even know what
it meant when my opponent would put up his finger to signal the ball was out.
And how is your tennis
now?
Fourteen years later, I now consider myself a 4.5, at least according
to NYC standards—I hear the criteria for warmer cities are tougher. I’m trying
to get to the next level by the end of the season. It's tough to do this
without lessons though. And I’ve actually never had lessons, which led to a
very awkward-looking but effective one-handed backhand that I get asked about
constantly. I was even told once it was illegal!
What is the appeal of
tennis for you?
Well, I grew up playing soccer, but I decided to stop in high
school because I hated the long distance running during practice. Physically, I
love the short sprinting in tennis, especially since speed is a big weapon of
mine. I also like that it's not a team sport. I randomly joined a baseball
league a couple years ago, and after playing tennis, it seemed so boring since
90% of the three-hour game is just waiting. I won't even play doubles
since I hate not having full ownership over a match and feeling like I need to
apologize to my partner when I make an error.
Where do you usually
play?
I'm a five-minute walk away from the thirty Central Park courts
so I play there very often.
Which division are you
in, and how did you first learned about the league?
How much do you play
nowadays?
I'm
playing more than ever now, probably twice or three times a week. I even bought
my own stringing machine since I was going through strings so quickly. I
always recommend for any semi-serious player to do the same. It saves so much
time and money, plus it teaches you a lot about the importance of strings and
tension. It was a little intimidating at first since I had no idea what I
was doing, but I quickly learned from watching Youtube videos.
Any favorite
rivalries?
A
couple of my favorite rivalries have been Frank Poerio and Orlando Jones. Frank
and I played really close matches when I first started and then he took a
few seasons off. I've improved quite a bit since I've been playing consistently, so it's
interesting to play him now because it gives me an idea of the progress I've
made. Orlando and I have had some great matches. Every time we play each
other, we know we're in for a marathon. I can also tell I've got a budding
rivalry with Marc Gibber, who nonchalant winners drive me crazy. I
outlasted him in a three-setter yesterday though and have a finals rematch
against Mathieu Brossard this Sunday so hopefully I'll get my 4th title! (Update: Sadly, Buddy ended up losing to
Mathieu in the finals. But he didn't go down easily—the final score was 6-4, 4-6, 7-5. There’s always next season’s championship, Buddy!)
Who are your favorite pro players?
My favorite pros to watch are Nadal, Federer, and randomly,
Dustin Brown. I love the relentless nature of Nadal, which I try to bring
to the court myself. My opponents frequently tell me that my speed
pressures them into going for more, which lead to more errors. So, I could only
imagine how Nadal's opponents feel. Federer has always seemed like a
tennis magician to me. The shots he comes up with sometimes are ridiculously
angled or really clever, not to mention how gracefully he moves. And of course
his accomplishments are extraordinary. I just discovered Dustin Brown recently
at the French Open, and I think he's the most exciting player to watch. He's
got the same devil-may-care attitude as Gael Monfils, and nearly the same speed
too, but the difference is that Dustin Brown is a serve-and-volley player with
incredibly soft hands, which makes each point really fun to watch.
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