The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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MEN'S TENNIS PROFILE doubles team. Hopefully they can keep it up. "We kind of put them together and said, 'Well, there is a team that has played before, and someone has to play No. 1 doubles for us.' We put them there, and they have been play- ing really consistently well." Through Feb. 14, the duo had posted an impressive 6-1 record, rock- eting up the International Tennis As- sociation doubles rankings to No. 13 in the country. Buzzi and Franks have defeated Western Michigan's Nadin Indre and Stephen Payne, 6-4; Ole Miss' Nik Scholtz and Johan Backstrom, 6-5; Illi- nois' Tim Kopinski and Michael Zhu, ranked fifth nationally, 6-4; North Carolina State's Sean Weber and Nick Horton, ranked No. 28 nationally, 6-5; and Texas' Soren Hess-Olessen and Lloyd Glasspool, ranked No. 7 nation- ally, 6-4. The lone loss was a 6-5 decision to Duke's Michael Redlicki and Jason Tahir. "It's great," Buzzi said of their suc- cess. "It has been a long time com- ing. We have had moderate success together at No. 2 and No. 3 doubles. We pair up well together, so we were inevitably going to be successful. We just needed to touch up a few things. And now, we're playing some really great competition, and we are bring- ing our best into it. It has been great to be able to come together, and hope- fully it will continue." The duo's strengths play well off each other, which has really shone through this season. "For me, I like playing with a guy that is going to cover the net well, which Buzzi does," Franks said. "He doesn't just cover his side, but mine as well. We are getting a lot of points in that respect, and that's what helps us push through the matches." Berque is excited about the duo's success, but he is not surprised by it. Both Buzzi and Franks put in a great deal of work through the sum- mer, both on the court and in strength and conditioning training. "First of all, they're friends, and they really enjoy playing together," Berque said. "They like each other, and they communicate with each other very well. In doubles, that is obviously important. "The other thing is, the skill set they have. Usually, in No. 1 doubles, the guys are a little bigger and they have a little more power. Alex has very natural doubles skills. He has some of the best hands in the country. With his quickness and reflexes around the net, he has a feel for the game. He has great doubles instinct. Power doesn't bother him. He's a good athlete. "Barrett is stronger. He has a bigger serve than Alex does. He's 6-4 and has a big game. He doesn't have quite the natural feel that Alex does, but he is really solid off the ground, and he has a big serve. Their skills suit each other very well. Buzzi is a little bit more of the playmaker, and Barrett is the con- sistent guy with more power. They're smart players, and they're tall. It's a good fit. They're playing their most consistent right now." — Andy Reid