University of North Carolina Athletics
Carolina Spotlight Of The Week
February 8, 2007 | Men's Tennis
Feb. 8, 2007
TarHeelBlue.com continues its Q&A sessions with members of the 2007 University of North Carolina men's tennis team. This week's featured player is Lenny Gullan, a junior from Cape Town, South Africa. Gullan and doubles partner David Stone are one of the top doubles tandems at UNC.
THB: You're about to go on the first road trip of the season. Thus far, what has been your favorite road trip while at UNC?
Lenny Gullan: Well, I would say my favorite road trip was last year when we went to San Diego over spring break. We played USD (University of San Diego) and San Diego State. It was over spring break and it was a lot of fun. We got to do a lot of stuff together as a team and it was also very successful for us from the standpoint that I believe we went to 15-0 on that road trip last year.
THB: You team with David Stone to be one of the best doubles tandems at UNC, yet neither of you play singles. What makes you as a team such a good pair and describe how you flourished to become a good tandem.
LG: I think doubles and singles are very different games; they are almost completely different sports. I think what has contributed most to David and my success so far is that we are extremely good friends off the court. We trust each other a lot. And that is basically what it comes down to. We are a great team. We know we can rely on each other in the heat of battle. And also, David has worked extremely hard to get to where he is and for me, I feel like I have done the same. It has been just a lot of fun to be able to get the opportunity to play last year and with Don Johnson here last year, he really taught us. He took David and I under his wing, showed us how to play doubles essentially. And Tripp is continuing to do that now.
THB: Describe a little how you felt in the doubles run at the ITA Indoors in the fall where you advanced to the quarterfinals while upsetting two nationally ranked doubles tandems.
LG: We went out to Tulsa and we didn't put any expectations on ourselves. We were just excited to be going out there. We went out, and like I said, we trust each other and we know we can rely on each other in battle. David was playing really well, and I feel like I was playing really well, and we were just having a lot of fun being able to showcase the work we had put in over the summer. It was just a great experience to be there with Raian Luchici because he had been there before us and knew exactly what to expect. So having him there to help us along the way made a big difference.
THB: What was the atmosphere like at the Sweet 16 last year in terms for the team and just overall?
LG: Last year the goal of our team was to go to the Sweet 16 and that is the big show. That is where it all happens. So from the standpoint of the atmosphere it is really intense. You are there with the best teams in the country and everyone there has a shot to win the whole thing. It was just an amazing experience to be there after such a long season and after working so hard as a team together to achieve our goals; from day one that was the goal we set. And so for us to achieve that was something really special.
THB: What does it mean to you to have been ranked in your home country?
LG: I don't invest too much stock at all in the rankings. I think rankings are merely a number. I don't think they account for anything other than just a number. Really for me the big thing is making sure I'm putting everything I've got into it every single day, getting better and helping the team. To me it doesn't matter, nothing else really matters other than the team.
THB: You are a tall tennis player, standing 6-7. Does being so tall have positive and/or negative impacts on your game?
LG: I think the positives are that I have a very big serve and very good reach. For doubles it's very good because it makes the opponent feel like they have less room, less time. Negatives though, on the singles court, I am a little slower, so the guys tend to take a little advantage of that, especially the little guys like Frenchie (Benjamin Carlotti).
THB: You grew up in South Africa, went to school in America and your family currently resides in England. Can you talk a little about your experiences living and traveling the world? How did you end up in Chapel Hill?
LG: I was born in South Africa, in Cape Town, and then I moved over to the States when I was 12. I played tennis when I was in South Africa and came to a tennis academy here called Saddlebrook in Florida. And I was here with my family. My parents just wanted to give my brother and I a better opportunity to improve in tennis and get a really good education. Then we moved over to the south of France at which time Coach Paul started recruiting me, my senior year in high school when I came back to Saddlebrook. I came up here for my visit and pretty much from the first second that I drove on campus I felt like this was the place I wanted to be. My parents have always stressed education and work ethic, so I really felt that when I came here that was the vibe that I got. I felt that UNC had a nice blend of those two. I was convinced after the first few minutes of talking with Coach Paul and meeting the guys that the ultimate decision was to come here. It is like a family away from home.
THB: You answered on your personality profile that you wanted to run a Fortune 500 company. What kind of company do you want to run?
LG: That is a good question. Well I would like to run a very successful company one day. I would say some sort of large direct marketing company or something maybe even in the entertainment industry; but more than likely something in the direct marketing.
THB: You also listed that lying on a beach is one of your favorite things to do. So, what is your favorite beach and why? And what is your favorite city and why?
LG: My favorite beach is Clifton in Cape Town, South Africa. I go back there every December. It is my favorite place in the whole world. I feel the most relaxed and comfortable there of any place. My favorite city is a tie between London and New York. London because it is more of a homely city, it's not quite the metropolis that New York is, but I love New York because it is "the city that never sleeps." There is always something and interesting to do there.
THB: What is your favorite thing on campus? On Franklin Street?
LG: My favorite thing on campus is definitely a Carolina basketball game; preferably against Duke. My favorite place on Franklin Street is Sutton's.
