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SPORTS MARCH 8, 2007 - Page 15 A tennis story through Africa, Europe, U.S. every minute I spent on the by the two most brilliant and teachers protested on and off some pick-up basketball and DJERDJ MATKOVIC court. Ihad never been a good most recognized coaches in aU through those two years. soccer with my school friends, CO-EDITOR student, and that's mostly ~e country. Ihad plenty of time on my but nothing came close to ten- I'm sure all student ath- because I've always believed Training ~ith them really hands and Iused it. I'd stay in nis. It was my niche. By this letes in college know how dif- that playing tennis came paid off. I was' ranked # 4 in shape by jogging or riding my time it wasn't the only thing I ficult it can be to balance their before anything else (and as a the country for my age group bike. I'd often move the bed truly loved (yes, I matured academic life with sports, or superior being, I thought for two years straight, and had in my parent's room (quite a very late) but Imissed it great- as I like to call it, the most homework was for losers). won two national tourna- workout in itself) and prac- ly. As college came around, I important thing in the world! Without trying to be too cocky, ments in doubles in just one ticed volleying against the wasn't even thinking about Fortunately most students I was actually really good at year while coming second wall for hours on end, thus my tennis, and there was no manage to keep (at least some- tennis. quite a few times in singles. I excellent Boris Becker-style chance I could get back into what) good grades and still Ionly got very serious into was also number one on my net play. I knew my parents my true form. participate in their beloved tennis when I was 10. I was school team and managed to were in a fairly tough financial In spring of '06 I transferred sport actively. Unfortunately lucky too. My family and I lead the school team to the top situation so instead of taking a to McDaniel in Westminster. for me, when I enrolled into moved to Zimbabwe thanks to of the rankings. J felt like I bus, I walked 45 minutes to When I saw the gorgeous college, I had to give up the my dad's job. The first thing was on top of the world. I and from practice four times a green hard-courts in the far one thing that mattered the that may come to mind with kept playing professionally week in order to save on bus corner of the COllegeit brought most at the time: tennis. Zimbabwe is, "Ooh, do they for the next few years, and just tickets (which really only cost back too many good memo- I like to believe that athletes have giraffes there?" Yes, they as Iwas at the top of my game, like a dime each). Yeah, I was ries. I decided to email the are superior to other people, have rhinos too and you know we moved back to my home nuts. But I was doing what I tennis coach and see if I could not only physically but men- what else? Really good tennis. country. loved and no one could take join the tennis team. Sadly, tally as well (sorry non-ath- Sports are very popular in the Serbia (ex-Yugoslavia) was that away from me. the season had already started letes). I've been playing ten- southern-African country and recovering from a horrifying Moving time again - this and I couldn't join until the nis since I've known of myself tennis is one of the most war and was under a dictator- time, to Hungary where my fall when practice for the sea- (Serbian expression for since I imposing. I was lucky in that ship. So as you can imagine, it dad was assigned to work in son started. That summer I was young), and I've loved I had a chance to be coached wasn't the best place for a ten- the Serbian Embassy. There, went back to Serbia and for nis career. I begged my par- (sadly) the teachers weren't on four months, my life was ten- ents to cover the high-costs of strike, and I enrolled into an nis. training in the cold winter. academically difficult English In the fall I came back and They did, although they really Grammar school for my junior practiced hard with the tennis could only afford four hours and senior years. I had almost team. I was happy, not only of practice a week. In compar- no education for two years because I managed to become ison, in Zimbabwe I played six and here I was catching up #2 on the tennis tearn, but days a week for two or three two years of work and learn- because I was playing better hours a day. I was devastated, ing that I missed out on, while than ever. Now the team is but could not give up on the learning Hungarian (which training vigorously for what one thing that really mattered was compulsory) in a totally seems a promising spring sea- in my life. My freshman and foreign country. As hard as it son, and I have (cheesy I sophomore years of high was, I knew I had to take a know) managed to prove to school were a joke. Due to break from tennis. That break myself that anything is possi- economic mess-ups by the took almost four years. ble. Even decent grades. ministry of education, the During that time I did play 400 off 'NOT ALL CUSTOMERS WILL QUALIFY. CUSTOMERS RECEIVE $400 FROM TOYOTA TOWARDS LEASING OR FINANCING THE PURCHASE OF NEW UNTITLED TOYOTA MODELS THROUGH PARTICIPATING TOYOTA DEALERS AND TOYOTA FINANCIAL SERVICES. SEE DEALER OR VISIT WWW.TOYOTAFINANCIALCOM/FINANCEFORDETAILS. COLLEGE GRADUATE PROGRAM IS SUBIEU TO CHANGE OR TERMINATION AT ANY TIME.