The Auburn men's tennis team is looking to make a drive to the Sweet 16 this season, being led by seniors Marko Krickovic and Joseph Van Dooren. The two are very excited to complete their final season and put the team back on its feet following a disappointing 2014.
"The last season is always an exciting one, but I think we're going to realize half-way through that it's almost over," Krickovic said. "Right now we're more excited than sad."
Van Dooren and Krickovic have accepted the leadership position for this season, drawing their focus away from personal goals and working on improving the team overall. Personal success didn't prove anything last season according to Krickovic, and getting as many teammates as possible into the NCAA Tournament should be what the team strives for. "A personal win is good, but it's not enough," Van Dooren said.
Krickovic transferred to Auburn from Baylor in August for the 2014 season, finishing 13-6 in dual match play at No. 2 and No. 3 and qualifying for the NCAA Championships in doubles with partner and former senior Lukas Ollert. With Ollert, Krickovic was 5-1 in SEC play in doubles and the two were runners-up in the fall ITA Southern Regional Championship.
"Marko is our senior captain this year and has a lot of experience, and we're looking for some good things from him. He leads by example," said head coach Eric Shore. "He's a very positive guy for the most part, and we're trying to get him to bring these other guys along with that."
Van Dooren came to Auburn from Hamme, Belgium in 2012. Last season he had a dual match record of 7-12 playing at No. 4 or No. 5. He went 6-4 in doubles when paired with Ollert and 7-5 when paired with Maxime Hinnisdaels. "Joe has been a big part of the time for three years, and this is his last season," Shore said. "I know he's looking forward to a good season, and we're looking for good things from him also."
The two are undecided about pursuing a tennis career following the close of the season, but will most likely stay in Auburn to pursue Masters degrees. "We'll see how the year goes and then decide after that," Krickovic said.
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