Harvard men’s tennis co-captain Cliff Nguyen proved yesterday that what you don’t know really can’t hurt you.
Asked if he knew who he was facing in the opening round of the ITA National Indoor Singles Tournament in Ann Arbor, Mich., Nguyen just shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know,” he confessed. “I don’t look at the draw the day of [a tournament]—it’s not necessary. ”
Despite his nonchalance and the onset of late-match cramps, Nguyen defeated Arkansas’ Nathan Price in a three-set battle, eventually winning 7-5, 3-6, 6-4.
“I was trying to end points quickly, more so than I had been all match,” Nguyen said. “I was just happy to get it over with.”
He will next face Florida’s Janne Holmia, who dispatched with Michigan’s Michael Rubin in the first round. This time, Ngyuen knows who he will be facing, though he is still not concerning himself with Holmia’s playing style.
“Now that the tournament is underway, sure, I’ll look at the draw,” Nguyen said. “I’ve never seen him play before, but I just have to go out there and play my own game.”
Nguyen qualified last month at Cornell University.
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