Holding Serve with Nina Yaftali
2/22/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
From the moment she arrived in Ann Arbor, Nina Yaftali has made an impact on the University of Michigan women's tennis program. In her first competition at U-M, Yaftali won her singles bracket at the Wolverine Invitational and has since continued to excel and make a name for herself.
In her search for colleges to attend, thethe University of Michigan was far from Yaftali's radar as a potential college. Instead, she decided to play at UCLA, one of the top programs in the country.Facing limited playing time, Yaftali looked to transfer and the only school on that list was Michigan.
The decision has turned out to be a perfect match for both Michigan and Yaftali. She currently leads the team in both singles and doubles wins and has become the team's No.5 singles player.
On top of it all, she is pursuing a major in molecular biology. We caught up with Yaftali to talk about coming to Michigan, balancing her busy schedule and her future goals as a Wolverine.
On coming toU-M after living in California and attending UCLA
"I was looking for somewhere to transfer because I wasn't getting enough playing opportunities (at UCLA). I was born in Lansing, Mich., and my family lived in Michigan for10 years before we moved to California. I only looked at Michigan. I have family here and wanted to goback to my roots. I wasone years oldwhen I left for California, so I really didnt know too much about Michigan. My parents knew a lot about the school and they were really supportive about it."
On what she misses most about California
"My family. The weather here doesnt bother me. I also miss my old teammates and friends from UCLA."
On how she started playing tennis
"My dad played for the Afghan Tennis Federation when he was younger, then my brother started playing and he was a top-ranked junior. I just started playing for fun and it went from there. I started to win more and more, and once you start winning, you want keep going."
On her greatest tennis moment
"I did really well in the 14s and was top-10 in the nation. The year after that (in 16s) I was going through a really bad slump where I was losing and didnt have that much confidence. When I was turning 16, I played in the 2000 Ojai Valley Girls Tournament and won. Everything just started getting better from there."
On whether she prefers singles or doubles
"Singles. I have great partners with doubles, but I struggle."
On whether she has a name for her racket
"I dont have one, but if I did, it would be 'Petey Pablo,' 'Petey' for short. Hes my favorite rapper."
On balancing a molecular biology major and tennis
"I've justlearned to study whenever I can. I havent really found the perfect balance yet, because I havent been getting the grades I've wanted. I just keep in mind that it's going to be harder for me than it is for everyone else and I accept that. I'm more patient with myself."
On her future goals
"To keep winning and keep my record really high, both in singles and in doubles.I just want to dowhatever I can to help the team."
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