UCLA freshman Daniel Kosakowski faces pro tennis players at International Tennis Federation tournament
By Daily Bruin Staff
Oct. 5, 2010 1:34 a.m.
Between finding lecture halls, starting new classes, and struggling with homework assignments, most freshmen have a pretty hectic first week of classes.
Daniel Kosakowski decided to add quite a large task to his first-week to-do list ““ an International Tennis Federation tournament ““ and handled it pretty well.
Kosakowski used a string of upsets to reach the singles final of the Pro Circuit Futures event held in Irvine last week. He lost in straight sets to Australian Chris Guccione in the final, but his performance was a sign of what the talented freshman will bring to the UCLA tennis team this year.
It was far from easy though. After winning three qualifying matches during the week, Kosakowsi earned his spot in the main draw. But there was a problem: His first-round match was scheduled during a class Friday, and his class had a quiz scheduled.
Luckily for him, his opponent ““ recent UCLA graduate Matt Brooklyn ““ knew a little bit about balancing school and tennis.
“He actually worked with me so I could go to class and we played after,” Kosakowski said.
Soon after finishing his quiz, he made his way to Irvine. But with little time to prepare, he dropped the first set and had to quickly rebound to pick up the next two.
“I wasn’t really mentally there, and I didn’t have time to warm up. As soon as I got there I just went on the court,” Kosakowski said.
The win was key for Kosakowski’s momentum. The 18-year-old dropped only one set in his next three matches on the way to the final, undeterred by the fact that he was facing professionals whose incomes are based off the points earned on the tour.
“I don’t think they really have any advantage there, because I don’t like losing at all,” Kosakowski said with a grin.
His efforts couldn’t get him past Guccione, a seasoned pro, but they weren’t lost on UCLA coach Billy Martin, who encourages his players to make it out to the local Futures events.
“We don’t relish the thought of them having to miss some classes, but he did a lot better than I think maybe he expected to do this particular week,” Martin said. “But boy what a great tournament he had.
“It doesn’t surprise me,” he added. “I have really high hopes for him, and I think he’s going to be a great asset for our team.”
The finish gave Kosakowski a small bump in the ATP rankings, somewhere in the range of No. 840.
“You break 1000, that’s kind of cool,” Martin said. “Now he probably wants to break 500.”
Kosakowski couldn’t make it out with UCLA to the ITA All-American Championships in Tulsa, Okla. this week, but his finish at the Futures event is just a glimpse into the bright future he has in Westwood.
“I definitely want to be a top pro and be able to play all the Grand Slams and stuff, but it’s a long journey,” he said. “Right now, I’m going to be playing college … hopefully my ranking will go up and I can play a few ATP tournament qualifiers.”
