The Inside Tennis Team mixed it up with University of San Francisco Tennis Team members and actually managed to win some games.
“It was intimidating playing the USF guys because we know they are going easy on us, but they still tear us up,” said ITT’s Paul Alleyne.
Alleyne and N. Young took on USF players, Maker and Woravin Kumthonkittikul. IIT lost 4-1, but they won two games and broke a serve.
USF Coach Pablo Pires de Almeida came in with four players. This is his fifth year since learning about the program from Inside Tennis Team sponsor Leslie Lava.
“We do it every year, and we love coming out here. We have the best time,” said USF player Alex Santiago. “Some guys are mad they couldn’t come out, but they had a tournament.”
This year USF has won the North West Regional, and they qualified for the National Indoors, according to Pires de Almeida.
“Last year we had our best season in 25 years,” said Santiago.
“Pablo brings his best players in. Standing ovation for Pablo,” said Lava.
USF met with Inside Tennis Team members Clay Long, Chris Schuhmacher, Paul Alleyne, N. Young, team Captain Ronnie Mohamed and a few others.
While double matches were taking place, Inside Tennis Team members shared stories with the young USF players.
“It’s good meeting everyone and hearing their stories,” said USF Ryan Maker.
Maker played mixed doubles with Schuhmacher against Kumthonkittikul and ITT’s Noel Scott and won 4-1.
“We faced some international competition and won,” said Schuhmacher smiling proudly.
“It’s a good place to get to know each other. It’s more about that than competing,” said Kumthonkittikul.
