Kornacki: Knight Reflects on a Special Four-Year Tennis Run at Michigan
5/17/2018 10:30:00 PM | Men's Tennis, Features
By Steve Kornacki
Alex Knight is in the final days of his tennis career at the University of Michigan, and it has been a good ride for the senior from Miami Shores, Florida. He repeated as an All-Big Ten first team selection, this time by unanimous vote, and has qualified for the NCAA Tournament in both singles and doubles.
Knight hopes to move on to a professional tennis career, but he is savoring one last chance to play with long-time doubles partner, classmate and close friend Runhao Hua, also a first-team all-conference pick. They have loads of fun on and off the court, and that begins with the nickname Hua, whose first name is pronounced roon-HOW, has given himself and the nickname Knight calls him.
"We call him 'Leo' or 'Lenny,'"Â Knight said with a chuckle. "He gave himself 'Leo' as his American name. He came to visit me over winter break in our sophomore year, and one of my friends just kept calling him 'Lenny' all the time. We kept reminding him that his name was 'Leo,' but he just kept forgetting. I've been calling him 'Lenny' ever since."
Hua moved from Shanghai, China, as a youngster, attended Edison Academics in Bradenton, Florida, and also is qualified for NCAA singles and doubles.
"We've been playing doubles since our freshman year," Knight said of Hua. "So, we had to split up (this year) because we were struggling a bit (as a team) with our doubles point. Ever since we split up, our team has been winning a lot. You have to do what's best for the team, and I've been killing it with Harry (Harrison Brown, a freshman from Australia).
"But it was kind of cool to make the (NCAA) doubles tournament so we could come together for one last final hurrah. It's been a great four years. It could be one match or it could be five, but we're going to try to win the thing. It will be the last time we play together collegiately, and hopefully after we both go pro we can hook up in the future."
Knight said that the best thing about playing top competition this weekend in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, is that all of his teammates will be there with him. The No. 15 Wolverines (22-5) have made the NCAA Round of 16 for the first time since 2008Â and only the fourth time since 1980. They play No. 2 UCLA Friday (May 18), fresh off a 4-0 shutout of Notre Dame that advanced them.
"It means a lot because it's something we've been working for and trying to accomplish," said Knight. "The last two years, we got to the second round and battled and almost had it. But we finally get it, and it feels really good.
"But that feeling's worn off now, and we're focusing on getting ready for UCLA and really trying to get to the Elite 8. That would be a big step. We feel fairly confident that we can beat any team in the country, and we've been working really hard. We just have to keep that confidence and go out there and play our game. We know what it takes to beat them and just have to stay mentally tough, execute our game plan and stick together as a team."
Knight is 25-6 in singles play this season and 25-9 in doubles. He's posted a 79-43 singles record and has been 72-31 in doubles in his college career, winning numerous honors and achieving great things. He's got "a big game" with quality serves, backhands and forehands. Knight also noted that his volleys and returns "could get better," but he has come a long way in four seasons.
"It's important to have individual goals as well as team goals," said Knight. "And certainly, I've been putting in the work. And so that feels good to get that recognition for how you're playing. But I'd rather the team do better. So, sometimes you have to sacrifice your own personal gains for the good of the team. And we have a bunch of guys who don't mind doing that."
Knight said that approach is the product of the team-first "culture" Michigan head coach Adam Steinberg, who has taken his team to three NCAA tourneys in his four seasons here, has cultivated.
What's Steinberg's impact been on Knight?
"It's been huge," Knight said. "He was coaching at Pepperdine (winning the NCAA team title in 2006) on the West Coast, and we didn't really know anything about him when he came. But he was everything we'd been wanting out of the program, which was a philosophy of team first and getting everyone better. That will get you better. So, that was fantastic.
"The culture we have helped build here, and (associate head coach) Sean (Maymi), too. We've worked with them together for four years and the culture of "work hard and team first" really, really helped all of us."
Knight was an All-American at Michael Krop High in Miami, and he was the 2013 Florida High School Player of the Year. He also enjoyed playing basketball and tennis while growing up but played strictly tennis in high school, sensing that specialization was necessary if he wanted to play college tennis.
That decision paid off. Knight was rated a five-star recruit and No. 5 in the nation by tennisrecruiting.net. He redshirted as a Michigan freshman in 2013-14, and that move also has worked out in every way. Knight graduated with a degree in ecology and evolutionary biology and had been considering studying medicine in graduate school.
"We'll see," said Knight. "I really hope professional tennis works out. If not, I've got time to figure (grad school) out."
He wanted to issue a "thank you" from the senior class that includes himself, Hua, Davis Crocker and Carter Lin "to everybody who has made our time here so incredible" at Michigan.
Knight and Hua will be at the forefront of whatever the team accomplishes. They faced each other in October at the ITA Midwest Regional Championships at Michigan's Varsity Tennis Center, and Hua won, 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4). But they always will be recalled as a standout duo.
Michigan has two top-50 players in the NCAA tourney for only the second time, and the first time since 2007, with Knight at No. 17 and Hua at No. 47. They are ranked No. 23 in doubles.
What has Knight enjoyed most about playing with Hua?
Knight chuckled again before saying, "I mean, he's a fantastic doubles player. He's got great returns, great instincts. He's just a great tennis player. That's fun playing alongside someone who's that good. We know each other's game and where we're going to be. We've had that experience together, and that's been fun. We know what each other's thinking on the court.
"But he's also become one of my best friends at Michigan, and Lenny and I lived together our freshman years. He's got a great sense of humor."
There have been plenty of laughs, lots of wins and memories they'll share with teammates and coaches for years to come.
Players Mentioned
