University of Tennessee Athletics
Serve & Volley: Jack Schipanski
January 22, 2015 | Men's Tennis
By Amanda Pruitt
UTSports.com
Sophomore Jack Schipanski has waiting for his turn to finally hit the courts for Tennessee.
That turn finally arrived last weekend during the Tennessee Spring Invitational. Schipanski went 2-1 in singles in the middle of the lineup and 4-0 at No. 3 doubles with Andrew Dromsky. His playing career got off to an exciting start when he and Dromsky rallied from two breaks down to win a tiebreaker on court 3 to clinch the doubles point against North Florida in the season opener.
Schipanski arrived in Knoxville from Adelaide, Australia, in January 2014 but had to wait a year before becoming eligible this spring. One of three Vols with a career-high ATP ranking inside the top 900, the 5-foot-11 right-hander brings immediate strength to the Vols' lineup.
He also counts as the Vols' Australian representative on the roster. Tennessee has had at least one Australian native on the team every year since 1988. It is now Schipanski's turn to carry the torch following the graduation of All-SEC performer Jarryd Chaplin.
Q: You've been here for a year, so you've gotten to see the dual matches. Last weekend, you finally got to experience one on court. Did it feel like you thought it would or was it different?
A: I think so. I got a good sort of feel for how the matches would go when I was sitting and watching last year. Having said that, being out there is a whole different game obviously. You sort of feel a bit more pressure. It's a different type of nerves when you're playing. It was really enjoyable to finally be able to compete for the team. It was a great feeling. Hopefully there's a lot more to come.
Q: You got to experience that pressure right away in the first doubles point against North Florida, coming back from two breaks down to win. How were you guys able to get back in the match and finish things up?
A: That was a pretty close one. We obviously didn't get off to the best of starts in that match. We were down 5-2, a double break, and then the other two doubles split. From there, we had a little work to do. It was really enjoyable for my first match out there. I got to experience a situation like that straight off. It was really fun being out there with Andrew. I think we both sort of helped each other through. Having the whole crowd coming and watching your match while you're trying to clinch the doubles point was a great feeling. I'm just happy we got it there in the end.
Q: In that year you were waiting, you didn't get to play any matches but you got to get a ton of practice obviously. How do you feel like your game has changed since you arrived last January?
A: In that time, I hit a lot of balls. We worked on some things in my game, try to hit my forehand a little bigger. I've been trying to hit my backhand a little more solid to the point where it's a bit of a weapon. Now in these matches, I'm trying to put those things into place. I think the practice has given me a lot of confidence overall in my game. Now, it's just a matter of putting it into matches, which I think I'm starting to do.
Q: One more tennis question about the here and now: We're heading to Notre Dame for the ITA Kick-Off Weekend. What are you expecting going on the road in an important couple matches for the team trying to get to national indoors again?
A: It is a big big weekend for sure. There are obviously going to be three other very good teams there. We're going to have to be ready to compete from the first ball, the first point of the first doubles match. I think the team is pretty confident after this last weekend. We got four good matches under our belt. Now it's a matter of going to Notre Dame and trying to put all our hard work into these big matches. I think we're all expecting -- no matter who we play -- a very tough match. it's exciting for us, but we want to test ourselves against the best teams. We're expecting tough matches, but at the same time, we're looking forward to it.
Q: There's a long line of Australian players here at UT. Were you aware of that coming in?
A: I didn't know the exact figure, but I obviously knew of a lot of Australians who played here coming in, whether they'd been my coaches back home in Australia or friends or whatever. I knew Australians who always spoke pretty highly of Tennessee.
Q: There are a lot of Tennessee connections in Tennessee Australia. Did you know when you first heard about Tennessee?
A: I first heard of Tennessee, I think, when Jarryd Chaplin started here. He was a guy I knew back in Australia before I came to college. I guess that sort of big news in Australia when he decided to come to Tennessee. I heard of it then. Since then, I kept hearing the name. So many people in Australia have been affiliated with Tennessee. Chatting with them, they all spoke very highly of it and now I get to experience it.
Q: Which former Vols did you work with growing up?
A: Simon Rea. I spent a lot of time traveling with Simon. He was my coach for quite a few trips internationally. There's also Chris Mahony. He was coaching at Melbourne at the time while I was there. He spoke highly of the program. I'm trying to look around at the All-American banners and see who else. There were a lot of coaches. There's also JP Smith. I knew JP and Jarryd. They were the main people I spoke to about Tennessee.
Q: Are you keeping up with what's going on back home at the Australian Open? Your fellow countrymen have been doing pretty well.
A: I have been keeping up as best I can with the results. I have quite a few friends who are playing this week in the Australian Open. It's good to see them doing so well. I'm really excited for them. To be able to watch them and that sort of thing on the big stage is really exciting. Throughout these couple weeks it's always a great time in Australia with the Australian Open. It's definitely a very exciting time for Australian tennis. I'm definitely keeping in touch with what's going on down there.
Q: You played juniors there a few times. What's it like playing in Melbourne Park? People usually say it's the most fun, relaxed Grand Slam.
A: I think I played main draw of the juniors three times, maybe four times in doubles. At the Australian Open, the weather's always hot, which maybe is a little bit of an advantage to the Australians, who are maybe a little more used to it compared to the Europeans and Americans who are coming down from their winter. It's always hot. The great crowds really get behind their Australian players. I guess it is a bit of a relaxed feel, (laughs) but you're probably not going to feel too relaxed when you're playing, I guess.
It's a lot of fun. I'm a bit biased, but it's my favorite Grand Slam. I hope to be back there one day playing again, but even if not, I'll be going back every year I can to support the Australian guys and just to be around the tournament. It's a great event.
Q: "Entourage" is the favorite TV show of pretty much everyone on the team. Are you in the "Entourage" entourage?
A: I'm a big fan of "Entourage." I'm not sure why everyone likes it. It's quite appealing to our age group, our generation. I'm not sure what it is that's so appealing, to be honest, but just everyone I've spoken to seems to enjoy it. On this team, sometimes it can feel like an entourage when you're living with the same guys and spending so much time together. It's just a very likable show.
Q: What's your dream vacation?
A: I love the beach. I've sort of grown up on the beach back home. I like getting to new beaches. They're all a little different in some way. . I love being in the water on the sand in the nice weather.
Q: Can you surf?
A: I'm not a great surfer. I used to surf a little bit going back a couple years. I haven't had a whole lot of time in recent years.
Q: What other sports did you play?
A: Back home, I played Australian-rules football. It's a bit of a difficult sport to explain. It's like a cross between soccer and rugby or something like that. I played a lot of cricket. That was right up there with tennis as my favorite sport to play. I played basketball. I really enjoy playing golf. I played a couple seasons of soccer. I love sports in general and I like to give anything a shot. I'm a pretty active person. I liked to try my hand at any sport I could when I was young.
Q: Do you have any siblings?
A: I have two older sisters, Annika and Lucy. I guess I'm the baby of the family. They're 24 and 26.
Q: And did you get the benefits of being the baby of the family?
A: (laughs) To be honest, I think I did. I got spoiled a little bit. I was lucky there. They're very good to me. They take care of me. They're coming over to visit this semester. It's going to be exciting to have my family here and show them around a little bit. They're pretty keen to see what goes on over here. I think they're excited to finally meet the people I've been hanging around with the last year.
Q: Do you have any pets?
A: I have a dog named Tilly. She's three-year-old a golden retriever. She's a beautiful dog. She loves the beach as well. When I'm home, I take her out to the beach and go for a walk or letting her run free in the beach, which is nice. It's something I look forward to when I'm home.
