Praibis selected for elite ITA tournament

It isn't every week that IU men's tennis players get to test their might against the best in the country. \nThis week, however, senior Jakub Praibis will get to do just that as he takes on some of the top players in the country at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's National Indoor Championships at the University of Michigan. \nPraibis, ranked No. 23 nationally, was one of only 32 players chosen for the draw, and one of 14 Top-30 ranked players participating in the tournament. \nIU coach Ken Hydinger said being selected to this tournament comes with top-notch standards of play. \n"The quality of play in this tournament is going to be extremely high," he said. "Every match will be played hard and every win is big. There are players in this tournament that you could very well see in the U.S. Open in the future. The level of competition will be very high."\nThe ITA National Indoor Championships is considered the elite indoor tennis tournament for Division I Men. The tournament showcases 32 of the best singles players in the nation, and 16 of the best doubles tandems.\nPraibis said that this high level of competition is beneficial for developing skills at an equally high level.\n"It always helps to play such good players, because you become a better player from it," he said. "Even if this tournament is difficult, because of it I will be ready next time, and so on." \nPraibis' first match might prove to be his most difficult challenge yet this season. He is slated to play second-seeded Sam Warburg of Stanford University in his first-round match at the tournament. Warburg was part of the doubles team that won the 2004 NCAA Doubles Championships.\nRegardless of who is in the opposite court, Hydinger asserted that Praibis' main key to success was playing within himself.\n"The key to Jakub playing well is if he stays in the process," he said. "If he stays in the process, focusing on what needs to be done in the present and blocking out other distractions, like what happened in the past, he can play well."\nPraibis just wants to play his absolute hardest as long as he is on the court.\n"I think for me to play well I have to try my best the whole time I am out there," he said. "I need to give 100 percent all the time, and just try to play the best I can."\nPraibis takes his 3-2 fall record into the tournament, set to begin 9 a.m. Thursday with first-round doubles matches. First round singles matches will begin at 11:15 a.m. and continue throughout the day. \nThe tournament will continue with successive rounds of both fields Friday and Saturday, and the finals taking place Sunday. \n-- Contact staff writer Eamonn Brennan at eabrenna@indiana.edu.