Dmitry Perevoshchikov decisively won both of the tournaments he played this season, proving his worth as an addition to the Vandal men’s tennis team.
Perevoshchikov transferred to the University of Idaho as a sophomore from Izheusk, Russia where he said he has played tennis since he was 6 years old. Perevoshchikov said he feels right at home in Idaho.
“I really like it here, it’s a really good town, and I actually like small towns,” Perevoshchikov said.
Perevoshchikov said that he has had a lot of experience playing with people from other countries which made the transfer easier for him. He said that the tennis team helped too.
“All of the members of the team befriended me right away so it wasn’t a problem,” Perevoshchikov said.
Jeff Beaman, Idaho’s director of tennis, said Perevoshchikov fit in well with the team. Beaman said that it has been great to watch him play and improve.
“He is just such a solid player,” Beaman said. “Once he got his transfer complete, he hit the ground running and he just keeps getting better every day.”
In both the Campus Showdown and the Gonzaga-Eastern Washington Fall Invitational, Perevoshchikov’s final match was against a fellow Vandal. He claimed the title against Alan Shin at the Campus Showdown in a one-set match 6-1 and then beat Marius Cirstea in the Fall Invitational final 6-2, 6-2. It was just another day in the office for Perevoshchikov.
“One thing I learned when I was in Spain is when you are playing a match on the court, there are no friends,” Perevoshchikov said.
Perevoshchikov played in Russia through high school,then spent a few years in Spain playing on the ITF circuit. He made it to the semi-finals and quarter-finals in two Spain Future Tournaments and has several wins over ranked opponents in his career.
In Spain, tennis is mostly played on red clay courts which is a total different game than the hard courts of collegiate competition. Perevoshchikov said it was quite the change for him.
“For me it was really difficult in the beginning because I used to play on really fast courts so when I came here it was different,” Perevoshchikov said.
Perevoshchikov said past experiences have helped him fit in with the team, but Beaman’s coaching made the transition even easier.
“He helps me with everything, even out of the court, he helps with anything and he is a really cool guy,” Perevoshchikov said.
Off the court, Perevoshchikov said he likes to spend time with friends and playing soccer when he has the time.
Perevoshchikov’s next appearance will be in the Boise State Fall Tournament where more teams, more players from each team and the BSU home court advantage await him. The biggest tournament he’s faced thus far doesn’t shake the Russian-born tennis star.
“I’m already having a great year, and the team and the coaches are helping me a lot and making me get even better,” Perevoshchikov said.