by Kevin McFarland
Daily Lobo
Regionally ranked UNM men's tennis doubles partners Max Jones and Kamil Pajkowski have plenty of chemistry on the tennis court.
That might be because they get along pretty well off it.
"We definitely have a big connection," Jones said. "We do everything together. The rest of the team does too."
Head coach Alan Dils insists chemistry is the duo's key to success.
"Definitely, chemistry is probably more important than anything else when it comes to doubles," Dils said. "You can have the two most talented players, but if they don't like each other, it won't work."
The former roommates are ranked No. 15 in the Mountain Region by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, and said they plan to improve that ranking in the upcoming fall season.
Jones and Pajkowski finished with a 17-10 doubles record last year, and were the only freshmen duo to be ranked in the Mountain Region.
As the 2005-2006 season opener approaches on Sept.. 16, Jones and Pajkowski said they are feeling the pressure to translate chemistry into more wins during their sophomore season.
That pressure might swell a bit more considering last year's senior duo and No. 1 doubles team for the Lobos, David Kowalski and Ryan Stotland, are gone.
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Kowalski and Stotland finished last season with a 24-8 record and were ranked the No. 14 doubles team in the nation.
Jones said those are pretty big shoes to fill for a couple of young players.
"There is definitely a big gap to fill," Jones said. "We've got some areas to improve on."
But while the high standard set by Kowalski and Stotland may seem like a curse, Jones and Pajkowski insist last season was a learning experience.
"We definitely feel the pressure to pick up where they left off," Pajkowski said. "While it adds pressure to come after them, we were lucky to be able to play with them last season, and learn from them."
Jones and Pajkowski will also try to improve on their singles records this season as well.
Pajkowski said he hopes a year's experience will help him to a better result than the 11-21 record he posted last season, while Jones wants to improve on an impressive 23-11 singles record and a No. 7 regional ranking.
While the goal for Jones and Pajkowski is a trip to the NCAA Championships at the end of the season, Kowalski and Stotland's last season run would be tough to duplicate. To get to the championships, Jones and Pajkowski would have to be one of the top-two teams in the Mountain Region, a tough task for such a young doubles squad.
"We know what we want to do," Pajkowski said. "We'd like to make it there, but we just have to do the best we can."
Even if Jones and Pajkowski fall short this season, Dils said there are bright things to come for this duo.
"They're young, but they're talented, just like the rest of our team," Dils said. "They should be good not just this year, but in the years to come."
