This weekend, the Randall Tennis team will be facing their hardest competition yet in Abilene, Texas, where they will face multiple 5A schools. The Universal Tennis Rating (UTR) is the metric used to rank a players’ skill level. The ranking starts as low as a 1, which is the worst, and goes all the way up to 16. Most D1 college tennis players rankings range from 10-13. Senior Dax Betzen is Randall’s top tennis boy with a UTR of 6.24. While down in Abilene, Dax will face boys with UTRs as high as a 9. The following Q&A was an interview with Dax Betzen.
Q: How do you plan on handling the tough competition?
A: Put one more ball in play and extend the match as long as possible.
Q: Are you nervous about playing these top boys?
A: There’s a certain amount of nerves that come with every match in tennis, but when you’re the underdog it’s almost a small relief.
Q: How are you preparing mentally and physically to face them?
A: Practicing every day.
Q: Do your coaches help you play better against tougher opponents?
A: Yes, they offer new strategies and viewpoints that are hard to notice while playing.
Q: What is your advice to the younger players when it comes to facing tougher competition?
A: Always think you can win the match, don’t ever believe that you can’t win.
Q: How do you feel about being the top boy in Randall’s Tennis program?
A: There’s a responsibility to it of leading the younger kids, both on and off the courts.
Q: Do you feel beating some of the other top boys will benefit Randall’s Tennis program as a whole?
A: I think that we have a lot of great tennis players who can win a ton at the lower spots, so an unexpected win at number 1 just helps those dudes out.
Q: Will your previous years in the tennis program affect how you handle the competition?
A: Absolutely, this is my 4th year on the team, and I have been lucky to learn from some of the best players Randall has ever had.
Q: Do you think your UTR accurately reflects how good of a player you are?
A: I don’t really focus on UTR all that much, so I couldn’t tell you what it reflects.
Q: Do you think that their UTR accurately reflects how good of a player they are?
A: It’s definitely something that I glance at before matches, but matches aren’t played on paper for a reason.
With this weekend quickly approaching Dax must prepare to lead his team with pride as they play matches against tough opponents. The other boys in Randall’s lineup are also underdogs going into Abilene, so it is up to Dax to become a positive role model and encourage the other boys below him to rise to the opportunity and win their matches against the tough competition.
