As the Michigan men's tennis team huddled up after a hard day of
practice yesterday, freshmen Steve Peretz, Ryan Heller and Brian
Hung exhaustedly chanted "team" on three and packed up for the day.
Though tired, the three new Wolverines have proven themselves ready
for battles at the collegiate level.

The three youngsters bring enthusiasm and liveliness to the
team, which proves to be a great addition to the squad.

"They're three pretty talented kids ... three competitive kids
and three very tough kids," coach Mark Mees said.

Last weekend at the Tom Fallon Invitational at Notre Dame, the
rookies were able to tuck away a few matches under their belts in
admirable fashion.

Peretz, a Brooklyn, N.Y., native, stomped the competition and
went undefeated through four games on the weekend and also won a
doubles match with junior Vinny Gossain. Heller, originally from
Chicago, and Hung, who made his way from Hong Kong, both finished
2-2 in their collegiate debut.

"There was a little nerves in there and at times the level of
tennis wasn't as good as they are capable of what they are doing,"
Mees said. "But, they competed extremely hard, they came through at
some big times and played some really good tennis."

The three athletes would like to see their team succeed deep
into the postseason, and they all hope to play a prominent role in
that process.

"As a team I think we all want to be in the top 25," Hung
said.

His teammate echoed the same sentiment.

"I would like to see us make it to the Sweet Sixteen hopefully,
maybe win the Big Ten and get that ring," Heller said.

Individually, all three agree that being a part of the starting
lineup would make their freshman years a success.

"I'd like to break the top part of the lineup," Peretz said.

Though it is still early in the year and all players are
continually improving, the freshmen are certainly in the mix
according to Mees.

This weekend, the youngsters and the rest of the team will pick
up the rackets once again as they welcome competition into Ann
Arbor for the Michigan Invitational. All three will see significant
action again this weekend and hope to gain some preseason
confidence before dual meets begin in the winter season.

Mees expects his players to come out hard and show enthusiasm in
the upcoming tournament.

"Last weekend was a lot of work, and we definitely were a little
sore afterward, but it should be fun," Heller said.

Peretz added that they would be seeing even more competition in
the Michigan Invitational than they did last weekend.

The experience through competition will pay off as the season
progresses, but the rookies always find a way to sharpen their
skills, on and off the court.

Hung and Peretz, who are roommates at West Quad Residence Hall,
say they enjoy relaxing after a day of class and tennis by playing
... tennis video games.

"I used to play Virtua Tennis 2K2 and then way back on (Sega)
Genesis, Agassi Tennis where you can hit diving vollies as a
returning serve," Peretz said. Hung's favorite differed because of
where he was brought up and is a fan of "Prince of Tennis."