University of Tennessee Athletics
Catching Up with Boris Conkic
October 29, 2009 | Men's Tennis
Oct. 29, 2009
Junior Boris Conkic has certainly played his part in the Vols' success during the fall season.
On Monday, Conkic teamed up with freshman Rhyne Williams earn an 8-6 victory over fellow teammates, senior Davey Sandgren and junior John-Patrick Smith, in the final match of the ITA Ohio Valley Regional Championships.
Two weeks earlier, Conkic and Smith won the prestigious ITA All-American doubles title. Conkic holds the longest active winning streak in doubles on the team with 10 consecutive victories and has a 12-1 record this season. Smith, who also won singles at the All-American, has the longest current singles winning streak at 10 matches.
As regional champions, Conkic and Williams earned an automatic bid into the ITA National Indoor Championships in New Haven, Conn., which begins Nov. 5.
Q: Two straight tournaments, you've won doubles with two different partners. How does that happen?
A: I think mainly that happens because of the hard work we put in at the beginning of the year. We work on doubles pretty much every day. I don't think it matters as much who plays with who. Our coaches teach us principles and strategies of doubles and the fundamentals, and I think we've used them very well in doubles this year.
Q: Is there any difference in playing styles between playing with J.P. and playing with Rhyne?
A: Yeah, there are definitely little adjustments. For example, playing with J.P., I did the part on the baseline, and he was more aggressive at the net. With Rhyne, I was trying to be more aggressive at the net. And we both have pretty good ground strokes, so we played from the back and a little bit at the net.
Q: Coach was saying there were some bragging rights on the line for the doubles finals. Were there?
A: Like talking to each other? Yeah, but that's normal. It was a friendly atmosphere, I would say.
Q: It's pretty unusual to play teammates in the finals, isn't it?
A: Yeah, especially in a big tournament like regionals, when you usually have 10 ranked doubles teams in a draw. I think it shows how good our doubles teams are, and now we just have to continue our successful run.
Q: As a left-handed player, do you do everything left handed?
A: No, actually, I'm not a hundred percent left-handed. It's probably more like 50/50. I throw with my right arm, and I kick the ball with my right leg. Then, I write with my left hand, so I'm pretty messed up. I don't know why. I can only assume it's because my father is 100 percent lefty, and my mother is 100 percent righty.
Q: So did you pick up tennis from your parents?
A: Yeah, both my parents were national champions in old Yugoslavia. My father was a coach in a club in my town, and I just went every day with him. That's how I got started playing.
Q: This takes us a few months back, but you were involved in the World University Games in Serbia this summer. What was that like?
A: It was amazing to play the University Games in my country. Honestly, I didn't know the event was that big of a deal. It was just huge. There were 10 or 15 huge buildings full of athletes, stuff, coaches, and a couple of the guys who were in the Olympics before said it's pretty similar. I was just amazed by the organization and everything. And then, Serbia was pretty successful too. We won the gold as a team.
Q: Outside of tennis, what's something that you can consistently beat people at?
A: I'd say social games, like Monopoly and Risk and stuff like that. And cards. Sometimes. (Laughs) Of course, I lose sometimes, too.
Q: So, in Risk, what continent do you usually go after first?
A: Probably Asia, because it's the biggest continent.
Q: In your two-plus years of playing here, what's been your favorite memory so far?
A: Well, it's the teamwork and having friends that you're around all the time. It's about having to discuss your problems or share in your happiness. As far as the biggest achievement as a team, it would have to be beating Georgia my freshman year. As an individual, it would probably have to be winning the tournament in Tulsa with J.P.
Q: Since moving to Tennessee, what's maybe surprised you about the culture? I know some guys are surprised by how people here put gravy on everything.
A: I'd never had peanut butter and jelly before. In Europe, we just eat butter and jelly, and I found that interesting. Also, we didn't eat much bacon. It's not part of our meals. That's two things I've noticed.
Q: And do you like those two things now?
A: Yeah, I'll have them occasionally. And yeah, they taste pretty good.
Players Mentioned
