The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

JUSTIN Roberts’ acclaimed collegiate career was celebrated by his Arizona State Sun Devils men’s tennis programme on Senior Day, their final home contest of the season.

The No.31 ranked Sun Devils extended their win streak to six today, with a 4-0 win over the No. 45 Utah Utes.

Both his matches went unfinished on the afternoon. Roberts played No.3 Doubles alongside Makey Rakotomalala and trailed 5-4 to Slava Shainyan and Mathias Gavelin. In No.3 Singles he was down 7-6, 5-2 to Rusell Benkaim.

“Justin finishing his career here is special, and it’s something you never would have dreamt of,” said ASU head coach Matt Hill. “He’s a special player and person, and you have kids like that come along and are programme changers. Justin is 100 per cent one of those guys for me in terms of not only what he does on the court but also off the court.”

The Sun Devils are now 13-10 and conclude their regular season next weekend against UCLA on Friday and USC on Saturday.

Roberts graduated last May from USF and completes his final year of college eligibility this season at Arizona State University and reunited with Hill, his former coach.

“Leaving USF to come to ASU has been a really good transition. It’s a little different being in the desert but the coach at ASU was the first coach I had at USF so I know what I’m getting there. The guys are great, we have a really talented team.”

Under Hill at USF, Roberts advanced to the round of 16 during his freshman year in doubles.

“Justin’s impact on this programme in his one year here is genuinely impossible to put into words,” Hill said. “He knows me and my system, and I have a high level of trust in him because I’ve known him for so long. Even longer than I’ve known my assistant coaches.”

Hill left USF after Roberts’ sophomore season with the programme, and took the position at ASU.

“It’s very difficult to put some kind of benchmark on how much impact Justin has had on this programme because he’s had a bigger impact than he even realises, or probably that I even realise,” Hill said.

“He was a much-needed piece of the puzzle this year that I don’t even think I knew at the time.”

Prior to the season, Roberts tore a ligament in his right wrist and had an eventual bone avulsion where a piece of the bone broke off on its joint. He eventually had it reattached.

“I think I handled the injury and being out for about nine months competition and seven months playing tennis very well. It was hard in the beginning but I kept up with my fitness and mental side of the game and I feel I came back better in some things than I was before, which is always a positive,” he said.