May 20, 2003

It is late Tuesday afternoon in Athens on the eve of the singles tournament. Coach DeMars and I have been here since Sunday preparing for my first round match on Wednesday. This afternoon the draw was announced and I found out that I will play Richard Barker of Rice, the No. 29 player in the nation, in a 9 a.m. match on Wednesday.

I am familiar with my opponent since our team played Rice in the regional in Austin, Texas. He is a very talented left-handed player from England with a lot of ability and is part of the nation’s No.1-ranked doubles team, so I have a great respect for him. I will try to play my best game tomorrow and see what happens. I have the experience of playing in the singles tournament last year to draw upon as well as an entire career of tough matches in the SEC.

My goal is to reach the round of 16 and earn All-American status, which would mean winning my first two matches. It would be a nice way to conclude my college career. Everyone here is a great player and being selected to play in this tournament is a great honor because you are considered one of the top 64 players in the nation.

Since arriving in Athens, I have been spending time practicing to get ready for the tournament and seeing some of the great matches in the team tournament. The first match I saw after I got here was Vanderbilt vs. Baylor, which was an incredible match and really got me exciting about playing in this atmosphere. I have been practicing daily with my friend Jeremy Wurtzman of Ohio State, whom I have known since he started his college career at Florida.

It is a different feeling to compete on your own. I am used to being around the other guys when I am at the hotel, hanging out with them, telling jokes, etc. It makes for a lonely feeling. There is more pressure when we play team matches because you are playing for your coaches, your teammates, the university and the fans and do not want to let any of them down. You want to win your match for the team. As an individual, I still want to represent the university in a positive manner and play a level of tennis that fits USC, but the result is based solely on my performance.

My plan for the rest of today is to watch the team national championship match between Illinois and Vanderbilt, have dinner and continue to prepare myself for tomorrow morning’s match.

Note: Follow Seth Rose’s match live Wednesday, May 21 at 9 a.m. EDT, through the University of Georgia’s NCAA Men’s Tennis Championships Page.