Q: How did you get into tennis? A: My mom played a lot when I was about six or seven, so I used to always watch her when she played. I sort of began to develop my own interest in the sport while watching her play. Q: Do you have any brothers or sisters who you feel helped or influenced you? A: Yes, I have two sisters. One of them is 18 and the other is 20 now. When we were younger, I used to play them a lot. Because they were a few years older than me, they were always good matches. It really benefited me to have two people to play with because you can’t just get used to playing against one style. Q: How did the sports culture in Hong Kong affect your development and interest in the game? A: In China, Hong Kong specifically, racquet sports have always been very popular. Although tennis isn’t necessarily the biggest sport in the area, I think that being around the environment helped develop my interest. It also helped me since racquet sports are so big, there would be tournaments nearby every month or so. Q: Have there been any influences on your tennis career while at Andover? A: When I was a freshman, there were two uppers on the team that really helped me to get settled on the team. Dan Wagman ’05 and Michael Lee ’05 both made tennis fun for me at practices and matches. Also, they were always there to offer advice during matches when I needed it. Q: Do you have any special pre-match rituals or habits that you use to prepare yourself for the match at hand? A: The only thing I try to do is not think about my opponent when I am about to face him. I try to go out there every day and compete the best I can, regardless of who my opponent may be. Anything I may hear about my opponent doesn’t affect me too much because of this mindset. It’s very helpful to be able to think this way, because a lot of players just get riled up and nervous about their opponents. Q: Do you have anyone on the team that you enjoy playing against the most during practices? A: Foster Jebsen ’08 and I have always had a slight rivalry going between us. We’ve both been on the team since our freshmen year, and since then, we’ve been competing with each other. It’s a lot of fun to have a friendly rivalry on the team with someone as talented as Foster because we both get a lot out of each match that we play against one another. Q: Are there any professional tennis players that influence you? A: I would have to say that I look up to Roger Federer the most. The way he plays and how he is able to dominate any opponent he meets is really remarkable.
