Where Are They Now?
Conversation with Devin Britton
by
Harry Cicma, 3 August 2009
Special from
NBC.comA year ago, Devin Britton was a rising Blue Chip senior in the Class of 2009.
What a difference a year makes. Britton decided to enroll early at Ole Miss in January, and he broke through in Texas to win the NCAA Division I singles title. More recently, Britton made the decision to turn pro.
Harry Cicma of NBC News caught up with Britton to reflect on his recent past - and to look forward to the U.S. Open.
Questions and Answers
Harry Cicma (HC): What led to your decision to finally choose the ATP Tour? Devin Britton (DB): I have always wanted to become a professional tennis player and this was a great opportunity for me to go after it following my winning the NCAA title. I felt like I did what I had to do in school and it was time to make the move.
HC: Of all the colleges in the country, what led to your decision to attend Ole Miss?
DB: I am originally from Jackson, Mississippi, so I am familiar with the school. They always seemed to be a Top 10 school in tennis, and for the past five or so years have been Top 5. They have a great coaching staff and great facilities. Also, the SEC is a great conference for sports in general and I wanted to stay in the south - so it all made sense and worked out.
HC: Do you feel that the competition in college was tougher than you had expected?
DB: The competition in college was very tough. I pretty much expected it to be that way because I knew a lot of the guys in school already. I saw how challenging it was for them, and I wasn't expecting it to be easy for me - and it definitely wasn't easy. There are so many strong players in college and I think it is only getting tougher by the year.
HC: What are you most looking forward to on the professional tour?
DB: I am looking forward to the challenge of getting to the top. It is not an easy thing to do. There are great players coming and competing from all over the world, but I will be working hard on and off the court and will hopefully keep improving over the years in order to give myself the best chance to make it to the top.
HC: What do you feel will be the biggest challenge on tour?
DB: I think the biggest challenge on tour is probably to get started and get going - establishing myself and proving that I belong as much as any other teenager starting out. It is tough for me to say because I am just beginning and have a lot to figure out regarding my schedule - but my management company, Octagon, will help me sort it out.
I think it is always tough getting a ranking going on a new system... I have to earn points to keep having the chance to play, yet I know I have to keep training hard before and after tournaments in order to give myself the best chance to succeed when I am chasing those points. I know it'll take a lot of hard work and sacrifice, that's for sure, but that's the sacrifice I'm prepared to now make.
HC: Are you setting ranking goals, or just playing ATP events and seeing where the chips fall?
DB: I am just playing events and trying to do the best I can and we will see where the ranking is come the end of the year. I really haven't set an exact ranking goal yet, and of course the 2009 pro season is just going to be a partial one for me, but I am sure that I will do that eventually.
For now I am just training, like my time with the Davis Cup team in Croatia, playing a few tournaments of different levels, and seeing how it goes.
HC: Elaborate on the dream of qualifying for the main draw at the US Open?
DB: It is an unbelievable thing because I have been watching the U.S. Open on TV since I was 5 and I have always wanted to play the men's tournament there. I have had the opportunity to play the juniors for the past two years, and I have been able to watch some men's matches during that time. I had always wondered how long it would be before I would be out there. To have earned the opportunity to play this year is amazing. I am looking forward to it as much as anything.
HC: What's your best memory that you'll take away from NCAA tennis?
DB: Winning the SEC tournament with the team and being able to clinch the finals was an unbelievable experience. I had a lot of fun being a part of a team, and that is something I will probably miss the most. I would have to say that was my best memory of NCAA tennis, but it was full of good memories. I could not have enjoyed it more.
More "Where Are They Now?" Features
9-Oct-2009
WTA Tour Player Julie Ditty Looks Back on Vanderbilt With Fond Memories
If you are going to miss your induction into your alma mater's Hall of
Fame, competing in the US Open certainly qualifies as a valid excuse.
Former Vanderbilt star and current WTA Tour player Julie Ditty was
competing in the main draw of the women's doubles event at the US Open
during her scheduled induction ceremony, so Ditty's family accepted
the award on her behalf.
27-Aug-2009
Where Are They Now? Paul Goldstein
Few Kalamazoo competitors are remembered as fondly as Paul Goldstein,
who won three consecutive singles titles at the USTA Boys Nationals,
winning the 16s in 1992, and the 18s in 1993 and 1994. Add a doubles
title with Scott Humphries in 1994, and his sportsmanship award in
1992, and it's little wonder Goldstein was welcomed like an old friend
when he returned to Kalamazoo several weeks ago for the professional
exhibition that opens the event.
2-Mar-2009
Interview with "The Big Bozz"
Last week I got to spend a couple days with "The Big Bozz" - former
Illini and NCAA Champion Amer Delic - at beautiful Amelia
National Country Club in Amelia Island, Fla. A couple days of
training, golf, and family time, helped the big guy recharge the
batteries and get the body to a higher tennis fitness level.
About Harry Cicma
When it comes to college tennis, Harry Cicma is your man. Cicma is
an on-air talent and TV sports producer for NBC-Providence, and he
covers tennis for
NBC Sports,
writing articles and producing video segments.
He is the co-founder and host of World Tennis a weekly
tennis show on NESN, and host of of Tennis Live Radio's College
Corner.
Cicma competed as a junior in USTA/New England and went on to play
college tennis at Rutgers University. As a professional, Cicma
competed at the ATP Newport tournament and the San Jose Siebel Open.
He reached a career-high #75 in the ATP doubles team rankings and
#1262 in the ATP Entry System.
In media, Cicma has run the gamut. In addition to NBC, he has
worked for CBS, ABC, ESPN, FOX Sports Net, the Tennis Channel, and
World Team Tennis. Cicma has announced NCAA sports as well as the US
Open Tennis Championships on both TV and radio.
