By Pete Ruden
There are plenty of firsts for the University of Iowa men’s tennis team this week.
For the first time this season, it is junior Josh Silverstein’s turn to compete. Silverstein will play in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association All-American Championships beginning today in Tulsa, Oklahoma.After waiting months for the season to begin, Silverstein is looking to make an impact for the Hawkeyes on the court and see what he is capable of doing.
“I just feel ready for the battle,” he said. “I feel like nobody is too good for me. I feel like any match I have a good chance in. I’m just going to have to stay mentally strong. This will be a good test of my level and how well my season could be.”
Silverstein is the first Hawkeye in 14 years to be able to skip the pre-qualifying round and go straight to the qualifying. The last to do it was Stuart Waters, a teammate of 2016 National Iowa Varsity Club Hall of Fame inductee Tyler Cleveland, in 2002.
After finishing last season as the team’s No. 1 player and competing against the best that other teams have to offer, Silverstein is able to gain confidence and grow as a player.
“[Being No. 1] made me hungry to stay at the top,” Silverstein said. “I feel like I’m more of a leader on a team because of that and I want to prove something. I want to show these guys at other schools that I deserve to be the No. 1 player.”
Even though Silverstein is ranked No. 1 on the team now, the ranking wasn’t just given to him. He had to make improvements throughout the years, but head coach Ross Wilson thinks he is ready for what playing on the big stage has to offer.
“I felt like he was extremely mentally tough,” Wilson said. “I thought his game had matured a lot… Finishing the year at No. 1 and being successful last year I think just gives him some confidence going into his junior season that he can play with the best players in the country and beat them.”
Assistant coach Matt Hagan agrees with what Wilson had to say. A former player for Iowa, Hagan knows the type of competition the team goes up against. He thinks Silverstein showed a lot in his time at No. 1 last year against that competition.
“Playing No. 1 is tough. You’re playing guys who are some of the best players in the country every weekend,” Hagan said. “Josh finished his year last year winning against a couple players No. 1 and doing that, especially in the Big Ten, is a really big deal.”
The ITA All-American Championships is one of the biggest tournaments the Hawkeyes have an entry in this season.
Silverstein knows the type of talent he will be up against at a tournament like this and he is excited to get out on the court and show what he can do.
“I’m looking forward to the competition,” Silverstein said. “Every single player there is going to be extremely talented and I can’t wait to battle on the court again. It’s been a little bit. I’ve been dreaming about this tournament and I couldn’t be more excited honestly.”
