Freshman duo on course to make big impact

There are only two freshman on the men's tennis team this year but both are expected to be key contributors to the success of the team. Neither John Stone nor Viktor Libal has had too much trouble with the transition from high school to college. \n"I feel that I have made the transition rather smoothly but there are many differences in college tennis than high school tennis," Stone said. "In college there is a lot more work and a lot more commitment from the players, the players really care about the game and the commitment to winning is much greater therefore making the team much better."\nLibal, a transfer student from Vienna, Austria, said the sport is more team-oriented in the U.S. \n"In America, there is much more emphasis on the team instead of the individual," he said. "This emphasis on the team makes it more fun to play". \nAlthough the focus of the squad is on the team, the freshmen have significant histories in the sport. As a sophomore at Center Grove High School in Greenwood, Ind. Stone won the IHSAA doubles title. He was all state every year in high school, and was a three time Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference champion. Stone also led his team to the 2001 state title and was 25-2 while playing No. 1 singles his senior year.\nBefore coming to IU from Vienna, Libal was a semifinalist at the 2001 Czech International doubles championship. \nIn their first competition this year at the Clemson Invitational on Oct. 4-6, the two freshman performed solidly. Stone was the Hoosiers lone competitor in the singles B-draw in which he lost in the finals in three sets. \nIn doubles competition, Stone paired with sophomore Jullien Vulliez to advance to the finals. Stone said he felt that the tournament was a positive way to start the season. \n"I was a little excited before the tournament but once we started playing I felt much better and felt like I played really well," he said. "It was a good way to get my feet wet and get my first taste of college competition". \nCoach Ken Hydinger agreed and said he expects Stone will continue to improve as he plays more and more.\n"John is a good athlete and a has a good attitude, he will get better and better as the year progresses," Hydinger said. \nIn the A-draw at the Clemson Invite, Libal advanced to the quarterfinals of the singles tournament. Libal said he was pleased with his showing in the tournament and feels that it was a good starting point for the rest of the season. \nNeither of the two freshman said they feel too much pressure this year after only one tournament. Stone and Libal both said they felt that after experiencing their first college match they could relax and play better.\n"I feel a lot of pressure I can now get used to everything and my game is getting to where it should be," Stone said.\nAs far as playing with each other, the two freshman have enjoyed it so far this year. \n"John is really fun to play with and I feel like we work well together," Libal said. \nStone expressed the same sentiments. \n"Viktor is a great player and great to play with," he said, "I feel like playing with him makes me better"