Tennis players go solo

As the individual season rolls along, the men's tennis team will send players to two tournaments this weekend. Three players will go to Stone Mountain, Ga., for the pre-qualifying round of the All-American tournament. Others will go to Louisville, Ky., for the Louisville Invitational.\nSenior Paul Jacobson, junior Rahman Smiley and freshman Bernard Tsepelman will compete in Stone Mountain in a tournament with all the best players in college tennis. The event will be unique, in that it will be crowded and individualized. \n"We can't really cheer each other on," said Smiley. "We are going as teammates, but playing as individuals."\nSmiley is the only IU player who competed in last year's All-American tournament in Austin, Texas. He said he understands the importance of the event, along with the meaning of being invited. \n"Every good player plays in it," Smiley said. "My personal goal is to make it to the main draw, but I'm really just going to try to concentrate in each individual match. There are just too many to try and look ahead."\nWhile winning is always the ultimate goal, the entire fall season is a prime opportunity to focus on improvement, as team play does not begin until February. Smiley said he will try to strengthen the mental part of his game, as his past problems have come from not being able to close out matches.\nSmiley will focus on the mental aspect, but Tsepelman said he will have a far different approach to the weekend. The tournament is the first of his college career, and he said he will use the event to gain experience.\n"I'm not really nervous," Tsepelman said. "I'm just excited. I'm looking for exposure for next year, and the years after that."\nTsepelman showed promise in the unscored Tom Fallon Invitational at Notre Dame two weeks ago, as he and Smiley were IU's only undefeated players. Each won five matches in four days. \nThe Louisville Invitational will be similar to the tournament in South Bend, in that it will be low key compared to some other national tournaments. The event will be good practice for competitors and will give another opportunity for coaching staffs to prepare for the Big Ten season. The matches will be drawn at random, and players will take the court many times in one day. \n"I like playing multiple matches, "said senior Joey Balsiger. "It's not physically hard, but it is a different way to prepare mentally. You can also fix mistakes right away in the next match."\nAnother nuance to the tournament is that no player knows when he will play next. Random draws will be occurring all day, so there is a possibility of playing one match right after another, or waiting several hours in between.\n"It is challenging in that you can't eat a big meal in between matches," Balsiger said. "You can't warm up properly, and you must be ready to go whenever"