211 ATHLETICS Harding tennis players face off against each other in the finals of a championship. SWING LOW Freshman Teodar Zlatar practices his form while warming up. Zlatar won a bid for the ITA Cup Championship. Photo by: Grace Hurt HEAD IN THE GAME Senior Dani Ortiz focuses on hitting the ball during a practice. Along with Zlatar, Ortiz was the only other Harding tennis athlete to receive a bid to the ITA Cup Championship. Photo by: Grace Hurt Redding explained that though it might have looked easier to face a teammate in a tournament, he believed that it was more difficult. “It requires you to forgo any relationship you have off court and treat your teammate like an adversary,” Redding said. “The incredible emotions that come with winning an important match are tempered by knowing that, at the same instant, your teammate is experiencing a very devastating setback of a goal he or she was trying to achieve as well.” Though Zlatar won the bid to enter the ITA Cup Championship Tournament by winning in the finals, Ortiz received confirmation on Oct. 7 that he was selected to enter the tournament as well. Written by: Jake Mooney Two Harding men’s tennis players faced off for the first time in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Cup Championship. Freshman Teodor Zlatar and senior Dani Ortiz fought hard through the A bracket of the tournament to battle it out against each other in the finals. Sports Information Director Scott Goode said that this was important because these players were the best in the central region of the United States. “The farthest we’ve ever had a guy go was the semifinals, and that was Dani, I think maybe his freshman year,” Goode said. “For two players from one school to make it to the finals is very rare, but not unheard of.” The two players practiced hard to make it to that position. “The practices were very tough,” Zlatar said. “The coaches are pushing us over the limits, and this is what separates us from other teams.” Head Coach David Redding said that both Zlatar and Ortiz were hard workers, and that they both had tremendous work ethic. “What really sets them apart from others though, is that neither one seems to get too high or too low emotionally on court,” Redding said. “They both exhibit a calm court presence with a steel determination.” Though both Ortiz and Zlatar were friends on and off the court, Zlatar found that facing Ortiz was harder than facing other teammates because of the knowledge both players had of the other’s playing style. “We both played a lot of matches against each other, and we both knew our opponent’s abilities,” Zlatar said. “It was a matter of who responds better on the court.”
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