The sky was overcast, the ground soggy, and the air heavy with impending rain. But on Friday, nothing could dampen the incredible play of Virginia’s Mens' Tennis team or the enthusiastic crowds who showed up to watch it.
The Cavaliers swept through a pair of impressive conference foes this weekend in improving their record to 21-0 (7-0 ACC) on the year. The team started with that 7-0 drubbing of No. 26 Miami on Friday and continued its dominance by knocking off No. 10 Florida State, 6-1, on Sunday. The match against Miami marked the first time this season Virginia has hosted an opponent at the outdoor Snyder courts, but the FSU matched took place at Boar’s Head Country Club because of the ongoing unfavorable conditions.
Still, the bad weather failed to affect any part of the team’s Friday performance. No Cavs singles player needed three sets to win, and only one doubles tandem let its Hurricane opponents score more than four games. The most impressive individual performance came from (surprise) Somdev Devvarman, the No. 1 singles player in the country, who dispatched No. 4 Daniel Vallverdu, 6-0, 6-1. Yet the ‘Hoos also received impressive contributions from the back of its starting six, as Sanam Singh, Michael Shabaz, and Houston Barrick lost only 11 games between them and cruised to two-set victories.
Two days later, Virginia faced a slightly stiffer test against Florida State, but ultimately acquitted itself as the best tennis team in college with its seventh top-10 win of the year. Though the Cavaliers did drop one singles match, the rest of their performance oozed dominance - led of course by seniors Devvarman and Treat Huey, who defeated top-60 singles foes Jean-Yves Aubone and Clint Bowles, respectively. The win extended Virginia’s winning streak against ACC opponents to 24 matches, tying a school mark, and Devvarman’s strong outings earned him Player of the Week honors for a conference-best eighth time in his remarkable career.
“We had a great week of practice and that hard work showed in a pair of wins against two quality conference teams,” noted head coach Brian Boland after the Florida State win. “From the top of the lineup to the bottom, that was the best we have played as a team all season.”
Yet for all the talent on the roster, the impact of the fans was not lost on Boland or his team. Boland, who earlier last week sent an e-mail to University students urging for higher fan turnouts - his stated goal was to surpass the University of Illinois for the highest per-match attendance in college tennis - witnessed crowds of 637 and 609 in the two matches, far exceeding the team’s attendance average. “The crowd was great [against Miami],” said Boland. “We have the best fans in college tennis and we really feed off their energy.”
Indeed, the fans at Snyder especially seemed to provide an extra spark despite the dreary conditions. In particular, Devvarman, the returning national singles champion whose all-court game has made him a fan favorite, had tremendous fan support that helped ignite his play during his rout of Vallverdu. Devvarman displayed “really good energy and… an extra edge to his play,” according to Boland, characteristics that the crowd no doubt helped produce. Fans rallied the Cavs when needed, and never failed to cheer an especially impressive winner or ace. Inside the lines and out, Virginia demonstrated a poise and energy rarely observed on the college tennis circuit.
Aside from Devvarman, who is relatively recognizable on grounds, the Mens' Tennis squad is the best-kept athletic secret at the University - but might not be for long.
the Mens' Tennis squad is the best-kept athletic secret at the University - but might not be for long. 
More fans each week discover that tennis, not lacrosse or baseball, is truly the most impressive sports display of the spring or any other season. As Devvarman, Huey, and Co. prepare for the postseason, stop by Snyder to catch the remaining home matches April 11 against NC State and April 13 against Wake Forest… even if the conditions are less than ideal.
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