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Wildcats' Nicolas Takes The No. 1 Spot In Stride

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By MATTHEW PARKE, Tribune correspondent

Published: February 17, 2008

How do you prepare to be a No. 1 player when you never expected to be one? J.R. Nicolas has had a year to get ready to fill that role for Wesley Chapel High.

When the Pasco Tribune's 2007 boys tennis player of the year and Class 3A-District 5 champion, Tyler Brown, moved to Texas, the promise of two more years of his talent went with him. It was a big loss for a team that had its sights set on capturing an elusive team district title, as they have been district runner-up for four years running.

"I found out at the end of last year and it felt pretty bad. But I heard about another kid, Kosuke Hasegawa, coming out for this year's tennis season. So that kind of got my hopes up a little bit," Nicolas said.

According to Nicolas, the talented younger brother of former Wesley Chapel girls No. 1 Yumi Hasegawa would help stem the loss of skill and talent. But Nicolas, a junior, did not assume that the top spot would belong to him. Since Hasegawa has not yet joined, Nicolas has taken the top seed. He has also assumed the role of team leader.

The role model for Nicolas has been his father, who has taught him the game since age 6. The lessons he has learned from him are being passed on to the less experienced players.

"My dad has been trying to tell me how to improve my own game. I try to use that with my other teammates, telling them how to correct things. I want to influence how they play with other people," Nicolas said.

Even though Nicolas did not think he was going to be the No. 1 seed, he began to prepare himself during the summer break as if the position was his. He set to work on eliminating the mistakes that can cost a top-seeded match, service errors and poor reaction time.

Nicolas has been practicing late into the evenings with his father and brother, former Wesley Chapel four-year starter J.V. Nicolas. His year-round play and extra work has gotten him in the position to win matches and his fellow players are listening to his advice.

According to Wesley Chapel coach Jerry Savoy, Nicolas has cleaned up his serve and with his two years of match experience, the team will still be able to compete.

"J.R. has proven himself to be a worthy opponent over the past few years. He has a lot to offer to our team," Savoy said.

Nicolas wants to hold onto No. 1 now that he has it, but he is willing to step back if he is beaten. Even at No. 2, according to Nicolas, his commitment to his team will not diminish.

"It doesn't matter what spot I am. I will still help the team as much as I can," Nicolas said.

Nicolas won his singles and doubles matches against Mitchell on Thursday, leading the Wildcats to their first victory of the season.

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