The ASU men's tennis team is looking forward to finishing its fall season where it began: at home.
Six of the team's eight players will compete in both singles and doubles matches as the team hosts its annual Thunderbird Invitational this weekend.
"We finally get to play at home," said coach Lou Belken. "We've been playing in different conditions and on different court speeds; it's time to get home and take advantage of it."
The Sun Devils will do their best to use their familiarity with ASU's Whiteman Tennis Center courts, starting this morning and continuing through Sunday.
But it won't be easy, Belken said.
Asked to describe the incoming opponents, the coach said, "Lots of new faces."
And those new faces are coming from non-conference opponents ASU rarely gets to see.
The list includes Arkansas, Auburn, New Mexico State and Middle Tennessee State.
ASU's sophomore Matt Brooklyn and junior Wes Miller won't be participating after playing in the Texas Invitational last week, but senior Juan Carlos Rebaza will be.
"He's looking to defend his title, and he should be," Belken said.
Rebaza had little trouble fending off the new faces last season, even though it was his first go-around as a Sun Devil. But the player he beat in the singles final was hardly a new face. It was none other than teammate Miller.
Then Rebaza teamed with junior T.J. Bellama to win the doubles crown as well.
But this year's tournament, without regard to success or failure, abruptly ends the squad's fall season.
Addressing the improvements of his top two players, Rebaza and Brooklyn, Belken said, "The purpose of the fall is to get better, but sometimes improvement is not shown in the results, it's found in the process."
Reach the reporter at: andrew.pentis@asu.edu.
