Hechtman called upon to lead inexperienced Hurricanes

A coach always enjoys having experienced veterans to rely on for leadership. Head Coach Bryan Getz is looking to sophomore Eric Hechtman to assume this role.
Hechtman earned 22 wins as a freshman and posted a 15-4 record in doubles play.
Sitting on top of the Big East at the end of last year was great for the team, but Hechtman has personal goals as well.
“I’d like to get to the NCAA championships at the end of the season,” Hechtman said.
Hechtman learned a lot of valuable things as a freshman that he hopes to put to use in the 2003 campaign.
“You just have to stay mentally tough the whole time,” Hechtman said. “And of course pull for your team.”
The men’s tennis team has one of the longer seasons of any program at UM. The squad only has two months off in between the fall and spring seasons. Hechtman has to keep that in the back of his mind all the time.
“It’s real tough because there’s no real off-season in tennis,” Hechtman said. “You just have to stay really tough out there all year”
A native of Miami, Hechtman attended Sunset Senior High, where he led his team to three state championships in four years as the team captain. He also was given All-Dade County honors in each of his four years. When he was 18, he was ranked No. 28 in the country by the USTA.
The physics major considers one of the greatest tennis players in history as his idol.
“Pete Sampras is my favorite player because he’s just the most talented,” Hechtman said.
As far as this year’s squad goes, Hechtman thinks that they have the talent to duplicate last season’s success.
“So far we’ve got a limited amount of players,” Hechtman said. “But we’ve all got a lot of heart so we’ll be able to pull it together and do well.”
Hechtman’s choice of UM was made easy for a couple of reasons. The obvious being that he is a Miami native and the other is that his uncle is an orthopedic surgeon for the school.
“There were some other schools after me, but I felt that Miami was really the place for me,” Hechtman said. “Good weather, close to home, and the girls all made it easy to choose.’
Hechtman is all about being a team player.
“I don’t really have a greatest moment in my career,” Hechtman said. “For me, when our team goes out there and wins a match, it’s a great moment.”
Hechtman has the utmost respect for his coach Bryan Getz.
“I thought he did an excellent job as an assistant and I’m sure he’ll do the same as the head coach,” Hechtman said.
The ‘Canes opened up the season this past weekend at the UM Fall Classic. On Friday, Hechtman won his No.1 singles match 6-4, 6-3. On Saturday and Sunday he won his No. 2 doubles matches while paired with Josh Cohen.
The ‘Canes will return to action this weekend at the Florida Invitational in Gainesville.