Photo by: Tim Cowie - DavidsonPhotos.com
Former Wildcat Joe Schafer Returned to the US Open
9/6/2017 11:28:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Gavin McFarlin - Associate SID
Written by Roger Clark, Spectrum News NY1
DAVIDSON, N.C. — Former men's tennis great Joe Schafer '13, for the second summer in a row, capped it off by turning it into a great experience at the 2017 US Open. Schafer again was invited back to be a hitting partner with the professional tennis players who took part in the tournament and this year became the Director of Hitting Partners. He set the schedule and organized the hitting partners as part of his position.
Click here to read the entire article, US Open practice partner aims to be ace attorney, written by Roger Clark, Spectrum News NY1
Comments from Schafer on his experience: "Another year in Flushing brought an entirely new set of experiences. As opposed to shifting between the legal department and the practice courts, this year was entirely devoted to player operations. From the second I arrived at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center a few days before qualies began to my final warmup with the Bryan Brothers on the second Tuesday of the tournament, I was interacting with the people who became the stars of the tournament. Whether it was players, coaches, agents, administrators, ball kids or news anchors, my job was to make the US Open as positive of an experience as possible for the people putting on the show. My favorite part about the entire experience was obviously hitting with the players, but more specifically, getting to know these stars on a personal level. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to warm up and practice with top-ranked American players like Sam Querrey, Stevie Johnson, and my childhood heroes, the Bryan Brothers. Not only were these guys class acts on the court, but both the players and their coaches went out of their way to get to know me.
Here I am, a professional punching bag ("sparring partner" as we call it at the practice courts desk) doing my best to get my racquet on anything Sam Querrey fires at me when his coach, Craig Boynton, shouts "where'd you go to school again, Joe?" "Davidson" I shout back in between firing my best serve at Sam (which he feathers away). After the general silence I've grown used to after that answer, Sam goes "Stephen Curry--nice, man!"
I always like to represent the places that have made me who I am, so it probably comes as no surprise that I took the court in my first practice session against the Bryan brothers, the most decorated Open Era doubles team of all time, in a Davidson t-shirt and a Buffalo Bills hat. What I thought was going to be a quick warmup turned into a full-blown set, where I teamed with former University of Florida standout, Maxx Lipman, to take on Bob and Mike. We managed to take three games off the guys, but one of my most vivid memories was sticking a volley winner past a charging Mike Bryan and someone, who I think was Davidson Men's Tennis Alum, Leslie McIver, yell "let's go Wildcat!" We held our own out there . . . or Bob and Mike were just playing nice.
It's moments like these that make me proud to wear the red and black. While there may not be many Wildcats out there compared to other schools, we sure do take care of our own."
Schafer was a four-year starter for the Wildcats, mainly as their No. 1 singles player. He closed out his final year at Davidson by earning Southern Conference Don Bunch/Buddy Hartsell Sportsmanship Award. In addition, he earned a spot on the SoCon All-Academic Team, first of his career. Schafer, who was a two-time SoCon Academic Honor Roll honoree, tied for the team lead with 11 singles wins, going 11-8 overall and 5-5 in the SoCon during his final season in 2013. Overall the Orchard Park, N.Y., native finished his career with 86 total wins, getting 43 each in singles and doubles, while Schafer collected a combined 35 of those in SoCon play.
DAVIDSON, N.C. — Former men's tennis great Joe Schafer '13, for the second summer in a row, capped it off by turning it into a great experience at the 2017 US Open. Schafer again was invited back to be a hitting partner with the professional tennis players who took part in the tournament and this year became the Director of Hitting Partners. He set the schedule and organized the hitting partners as part of his position.
Click here to read the entire article, US Open practice partner aims to be ace attorney, written by Roger Clark, Spectrum News NY1
Comments from Schafer on his experience: "Another year in Flushing brought an entirely new set of experiences. As opposed to shifting between the legal department and the practice courts, this year was entirely devoted to player operations. From the second I arrived at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center a few days before qualies began to my final warmup with the Bryan Brothers on the second Tuesday of the tournament, I was interacting with the people who became the stars of the tournament. Whether it was players, coaches, agents, administrators, ball kids or news anchors, my job was to make the US Open as positive of an experience as possible for the people putting on the show. My favorite part about the entire experience was obviously hitting with the players, but more specifically, getting to know these stars on a personal level. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to warm up and practice with top-ranked American players like Sam Querrey, Stevie Johnson, and my childhood heroes, the Bryan Brothers. Not only were these guys class acts on the court, but both the players and their coaches went out of their way to get to know me.
Here I am, a professional punching bag ("sparring partner" as we call it at the practice courts desk) doing my best to get my racquet on anything Sam Querrey fires at me when his coach, Craig Boynton, shouts "where'd you go to school again, Joe?" "Davidson" I shout back in between firing my best serve at Sam (which he feathers away). After the general silence I've grown used to after that answer, Sam goes "Stephen Curry--nice, man!"
I always like to represent the places that have made me who I am, so it probably comes as no surprise that I took the court in my first practice session against the Bryan brothers, the most decorated Open Era doubles team of all time, in a Davidson t-shirt and a Buffalo Bills hat. What I thought was going to be a quick warmup turned into a full-blown set, where I teamed with former University of Florida standout, Maxx Lipman, to take on Bob and Mike. We managed to take three games off the guys, but one of my most vivid memories was sticking a volley winner past a charging Mike Bryan and someone, who I think was Davidson Men's Tennis Alum, Leslie McIver, yell "let's go Wildcat!" We held our own out there . . . or Bob and Mike were just playing nice.
It's moments like these that make me proud to wear the red and black. While there may not be many Wildcats out there compared to other schools, we sure do take care of our own."
Schafer was a four-year starter for the Wildcats, mainly as their No. 1 singles player. He closed out his final year at Davidson by earning Southern Conference Don Bunch/Buddy Hartsell Sportsmanship Award. In addition, he earned a spot on the SoCon All-Academic Team, first of his career. Schafer, who was a two-time SoCon Academic Honor Roll honoree, tied for the team lead with 11 singles wins, going 11-8 overall and 5-5 in the SoCon during his final season in 2013. Overall the Orchard Park, N.Y., native finished his career with 86 total wins, getting 43 each in singles and doubles, while Schafer collected a combined 35 of those in SoCon play.
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