At Ohio State, men’s tennis player Nelson Vick didn’t feel he was receiving the playing time his hard work deserved.
Playing primarily on courts five and six in dual matches, Vick recorded a 31-8 career record in two years with the Buckeyes but felt he could do more to help his team — or a different one.
He transferred to North Carolina before the 2012 fall season, and Tuesday he had the chance to prove his worth against the Buckeyes, starting on court one for the Tar Heels against Division I’s No. 17 singles player — Ohio State’s Blaz Rola.
“I’ve improved a lot since I’ve been here,” Vick said. “Any weaknesses that I had prior to coming to the University of North Carolina, I feel like I’ve solidified them, and now they’re even weapons.”
It was still an uphill battle for Vick against Rola — who is also ranked No. 302 on the Association of Tennis Professionals World Tour — and Vick lauded Rola’s talent.
“If I was a gambling man, I would pick Rola to win the NCAA Championship,” Vick said. “He’s by far one of the best players, year in, year out.”
Rola maintains his NCAA eligibility by not accepting compensation in professional events.
Vick scrambled from sideline to sideline, returning Rola’s well-placed shots until Rola made unforced errors that would help Vick win the first set 6-4.
In the second set, Rola took advantage of Vick’s movement, and placed the second-set winner perfectly to win 6-4 and send the match to a third set.