By Alex Restrepo
LSU Sports Information
They came to Baton Rouge with different backgrounds. Ken Skupski grew up in Liverpool, England and had little knowledge of LSU prior to his arrival. Danny Bryan is a New Orleans native, which allowed him to be well-informed about LSU.
Now in their senior year, the two tennis stars are ready to leave their mark on the LSU men’s tennis team. Even with their different backgrounds, these two share one common goal ? to make history. Bryan and Skupski hope to lead the No. 15-ranked Tigers to its first national championship in school history. The two first team All-SEC members led the Tigers to back-to-back 4-0 victories against Alcorn State and Vanderbilt in the first and second round. The two sweeps booked the Tigers in the round of 16, where they will face the No. 2-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes. As Bryan and Skupski begin the home stretch of their remarkable collegiate careers, the two are determined to make it last as long as possible.
Toddler Tennis
Bryan and Skupski have been playing tennis for as long as they can remember. Each say the first time they picked up a racquet was when they were 3 or 4 years old. Skupski had the luxury of having his backyard in Liverpool opening up to a tennis court. Whenever the active preschooler was running around outside, he always found his way to the tennis courts.
“My backyard opened up to a tennis court. So the natural thing for me to do was play tennis,” Skupski said. “That is where I would hang out in my free time. I picked up a racquet when I was around 3 or 4 years old and have played ever since.”
Skupski stuck with tennis and as he got older started to make a name for himself among junior tennis players.
At the 2002 Junior Wimbledon Championships, which coincide with the adult championships, LSU associate head coach Mark Booras noticed Skupski in the quarterfinals. Booras built a relationship with Skupski that enticed the young talent to take a look at LSU. After a few phone calls and recruiting trips, Skupski knew where he wanted to play college tennis.
“When I made my recruiting trips I went to a few football games and toured the campus and enjoyed my stay,” Skupski commented. “I got a really good vibe about the school and knew it was where I wanted to go.”
Skupski’s biggest adjustment when he arrived at LSU had nothing to do with tennis, but the Louisiana lifestyle. The Liverpool, England native said the state’s humidity took him off guard and the southern food was a step up from the “bland” food back home.
Bryan took a different approach to entering the sport. Playing tennis was in his blood. His father and three uncles all played college tennis, while his grandfather was a pro tennis player. Bryan and his sister, Lindsay, followed their family roots and took up tennis. Danny was two-time 5A State Champion at Brother Martin high school while Lindsay won the 4A State Championship her senior year at Ursuline Academy. Both Bryans decided to pursue tennis in college, but both went vastly different paths. Lindsay went to Ohio State, while Danny wanted to stay closer to home. Danny’s relationship with the LSU coaches and the ability to have his family watch him play convinced Danny he wanted to be a Tiger.
Bryan’s parents, Bill and Glenda, and other family members have been regulars at his matches, including road matches.
“Having my parents and family come to my matches is awesome,” Bryan commented. “It’s a joy to have them there so they can share the experience with me.”
Starting Strong
Skupski had a daunting task when he began his freshman season ? play No. 1 in singles. Skupski said he has never shied away from pressure and enjoys the challenge of facing the opponent’s top threat.
“It was a tall task at first but in my first match at the Crown Plaza Invitational I beat the No. 18-ranked Richard Barker of Rice,” Skupski said. “That gave me some confidence and playing with some of my teammates at the time, Jason Hazley and Bryan Fisher, helped me get comfortable being at No. 1. I don’t feel any extra pressure than the rest of the guys because my point is as important as theirs.”
While Skupski has remained at the No. 1 spot in singles, Bryan has had a steady rise in the singles lineup. After starting his career playing amongst the bottom three spots in the lineup, the New Orleans native has solidified his position at the No. 2 in singles this season.
Bryan credits his rise in the singles lineup to him growing more confident.
“This year I have been more confident in tough situations than when I was a freshman,” Bryan said.
Head coach Jeff Brown was so impressed with Bryan and Skupski’s development and leadership that he selected them to be the co-captains the past two seasons.
“The one thread that has been consistent this season is the team’s attitude and Ken and Danny are a big part of that,” Brown said. “They brought the team together at the beginning of the season and talked about their goals. They both backed up what they said with their success on the court. The success of this team can be greatly attributed to team’s attitude and Ken and Danny have a lot to do with that.”
Bryan and Skupski have earned their stripes at the top two spots as each of them received first-team All-SEC honors this season.
Leaving Their Mark
Bryan, Skupski and the rest of the Tigers will battle the No. 2-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes Thursday at 11 a.m. The two teams faced each other earlier this season in Baton Rouge, where the Buckeyes squeezed by the Tigers by a 4-2 score. If LSU defeats Ohio State, they will face one of two teams they faced this season ? Illinois or Ole Miss. LSU defeated Illinois, 4-3, earlier this season and fell to Ole Miss, 4-3.
Skupski says it’s comforting knowing who they might play in the next couple of rounds but says the team will only focus on one match at a time.
“It is nice to know that we are familiar with our next couple of matches,” Skupski commented. “I feel comfortable with the guys I would have to face in the next couple of rounds. I really don’t worry about who we play after Ohio State because they are the No. 2 team in the nation for a reason. We can’t look past them. We know it is a critical match because if we can get past Ohio State, then that will boost our confidence against who we play after that.”
Bryan echoed Skupski’s philosophy.
“We are focused on Ohio State because they are going to be a tough task and we all have to bring our best to have a shot against them,” he said. “We played them pretty close last time and I feel if each of us gives it our best that we have a great shot of winning.”
Both Bryan and Skupski know LSU’s history. The Tigers reached the finals in 1988 and the semifinals in 1998 and 1999 but have never won the national title. This is the seniors last chance to bring the Tigers to the top. However, Bryan and Skupski said there is no extra pressure this year and that the team is capable of going the distance.
“I don’t consider it pressure because I am anxious to get on the court and play,” Skupski said. “I know this team is capable of beating anybody. It would be great to end my career on a high by reaching the semifinals or to even end it by winning it all. We have known all season that we are capable of winning the whole thing. We just have to go there and put it all together on the same day.”
“We are excited about our opportunity. I know my time here is coming to an end and I want to do everything I can to get our team as far as we can,” Bryan said. “We are going against the No. 2 team in the country so we know we have nothing to lose.”
After the team tournament is over, both Bryan and Skupski will compete in the individuals portion of the tournament in singles and doubles.
No matter how their season ends, Bryan and Skupski will be missed. Their level of play and attitude toward the game and their teammates will prove to benefit the program for years to come.