Texas Tech University Athletics
SPOTLIGHT: Kapshuk and Mylnikov Deliver on Senior Day
April 15, 2019 | Men's Tennis
LUBBOCK, TX - Every journey has a destination. Every road leads to an endpoint. Every story has an ending.
For student-athletes, the origins of their stories are unique. Each athlete has a specific set of circumstances that led them to where they are. The endings, however, are almost universal.
In collegiate athletics, senior day is a collective term. It's the last home event of each season. It's the last time senior athletes will usually play on familiar grounds where they have spent hundreds, even thousands of hours perfecting their craft, working tirelessly to compete at the highest level, making countless memories along the way.
Many senior day competitions don't go as planned. The student-athletes don't always win and the story doesn't always have a happy ending.
This one does.
Tommy Mylnikov has been at Texas Tech for four years. Prior to his time at Tech, he spent much of his time in both Florida and his hometown of Manitoba, Canada. He competed and found success across North America as an international recruit, ranking as high as No. 4 in his class by TennisRecruiting.net.
His first semester as a Red Raider was solid. He racked up 15 wins in total, eight of which came on the doubles side primarily with longtime friend and Tech tennis player Alex Sendegaya. He ranked No. 6 in the Oracle/ITA Freshman/Newcomer rankings and earned a pair of wins at the ITA Texas Regionals.
"Alex [Sendegaya] was one of the main reasons I came to Lubbock," Mylnikov said. "We trained together all throughout high school and he reached out to me and let me know that the coaches were interested in me."
Adversity would strike during his freshman year. Tommy did not compete in the spring of 2016 and for the entirety of the 2016-17 season due to NCAA sanctions. In fact, he was unsure if he would have the chance to play again at Tech.
In the end, Tommy was back on the court for his junior year. He recorded eight dual match victories and multiple ranked wins during the 2018 season, playing primarily on court one.
"Coach Masi believed in me," Mylnikov said. "Through everything I went through, he never gave up on me. With his help and the help of all of my teammates, I've been able to represent Tech and get back on the court for my junior and senior year."
His senior year has been more of the same. Recently ranked as the No. 116 singles player in the country, Tommy found his stride. He's notched eight more dual match wins on courts one and two this spring, while he and fellow doubles partner Jackson Cobb have rattled off a team second-best 18 wins on court two.
And then there is Artem Kapshuk.
Artem joined the Red Raider tennis program in 2017 after playing his first two years at Temple, where he produced a 42-16 singles record and won 30 of his 40 dual matches at the No. 1 and No. 2 singles positions. A native of Kiev, Ukraine, Artem notched dozens of wins overseas before coming to the United States to compete on the Division I level.
"I wanted to play at the highest level of tennis, so I came to Tech," Kapshuk said. "Playing in the Big 12 conference is a huge jump in competition from where I was previously. That's the main reason I transferred in."
Artem made an immediate impact in Lubbock, as he collected 16 singles wins in his first year. He earned a spot in the main draw of the Saint Francis ITA All-American Championships and at one time rode a five-game winning streak in the spring.
His senior year, however, has been full of ups and downs.
After beginning the spring with three consecutive singles wins, Artem would go on to win only one of his next 13 solo matches. He's been bounced around from court to court, starting the season at the No. 3 position and eventually finding himself out of the lineup altogether.
Then came senior day. The last home match of the year. The last time playing on familiar grounds in front of friends and family. The last time playing at a place you call home.
The 2019 regular season concluded this past Sunday with a matchup against No. 6 Baylor. Five of their six singles players were ranked in the top-125. Their primary doubles tandem was the top in the nation. A win on Sunday would require Tech's best
effort.
"Before the match I told the team that today we were playing for our two seniors and every point you play today you think about them and what they have done for this program," head coach Brett Masi said. "Let's send them out in style and on a good note. If you can do that, you're going to remember it more than you will remember any of your struggles and losses."
A fitting reminder.
Tommy and his playing partner won their doubles match on court two by a score of 6-3. A win by Tech on court one would eventually give the Red Raiders the first match point. With a final match score of 4-3, the doubles point could have been a turning point for Baylor without Tommy and Jackson's win.
"Tommy and Jackson played incredibly solid," Masi said. "Tommy served well, returned well and executed the game plan. Without that half a point, we might not have had the same result."
Singles play would prove to be a back-and-forth affair, with each side exchanging blows until the match total resided at 3-3. The only player left to capture the fourth and final point was Artem.
With all the highs and lows, the success and turmoil, Artem saved his best, perhaps, for last. After winning the first set, Artem's second and possible match-winning set came down to a seventh-point tiebreaker. His opponent took it in seven.
The last match of the year would come down to one final set, with the senior transfer from the Ukraine at the wheel. A happy ending.
Artem finished off his opponent in the third set to clinch the match for the Red Raiders. It was his first match-clinching win at Tech, and it came in his last match in Lubbock. His teammates rushed the court and tackled him to the ground. When he returned to the locker room, they showered him with water and celebrated the moment. His moment.
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"It was unreal," Kapshuk said. "I'm so happy I could get that win for the team. Maybe I was fighting more for them than for myself. I love these guys so much and to have them there on the sidelines cheering me on during my match is something I will never forget."
Tommy and Artem come from two very different backgrounds. Two opposing sides of the world. Their journeys carved different paths along the way, yet ended on similar ground. Each finished their regular season careers with wins in Lubbock on senior day.
A storybook ending for storied careers.
ÂGallery: (4/14/2019) Senior Day | 4.14.2019
For student-athletes, the origins of their stories are unique. Each athlete has a specific set of circumstances that led them to where they are. The endings, however, are almost universal.
In collegiate athletics, senior day is a collective term. It's the last home event of each season. It's the last time senior athletes will usually play on familiar grounds where they have spent hundreds, even thousands of hours perfecting their craft, working tirelessly to compete at the highest level, making countless memories along the way.
Many senior day competitions don't go as planned. The student-athletes don't always win and the story doesn't always have a happy ending.
This one does.
Tommy Mylnikov has been at Texas Tech for four years. Prior to his time at Tech, he spent much of his time in both Florida and his hometown of Manitoba, Canada. He competed and found success across North America as an international recruit, ranking as high as No. 4 in his class by TennisRecruiting.net.
His first semester as a Red Raider was solid. He racked up 15 wins in total, eight of which came on the doubles side primarily with longtime friend and Tech tennis player Alex Sendegaya. He ranked No. 6 in the Oracle/ITA Freshman/Newcomer rankings and earned a pair of wins at the ITA Texas Regionals.
"Alex [Sendegaya] was one of the main reasons I came to Lubbock," Mylnikov said. "We trained together all throughout high school and he reached out to me and let me know that the coaches were interested in me."
Adversity would strike during his freshman year. Tommy did not compete in the spring of 2016 and for the entirety of the 2016-17 season due to NCAA sanctions. In fact, he was unsure if he would have the chance to play again at Tech.
In the end, Tommy was back on the court for his junior year. He recorded eight dual match victories and multiple ranked wins during the 2018 season, playing primarily on court one.
"Coach Masi believed in me," Mylnikov said. "Through everything I went through, he never gave up on me. With his help and the help of all of my teammates, I've been able to represent Tech and get back on the court for my junior and senior year."
His senior year has been more of the same. Recently ranked as the No. 116 singles player in the country, Tommy found his stride. He's notched eight more dual match wins on courts one and two this spring, while he and fellow doubles partner Jackson Cobb have rattled off a team second-best 18 wins on court two.
And then there is Artem Kapshuk.
Artem joined the Red Raider tennis program in 2017 after playing his first two years at Temple, where he produced a 42-16 singles record and won 30 of his 40 dual matches at the No. 1 and No. 2 singles positions. A native of Kiev, Ukraine, Artem notched dozens of wins overseas before coming to the United States to compete on the Division I level.
"I wanted to play at the highest level of tennis, so I came to Tech," Kapshuk said. "Playing in the Big 12 conference is a huge jump in competition from where I was previously. That's the main reason I transferred in."
Artem made an immediate impact in Lubbock, as he collected 16 singles wins in his first year. He earned a spot in the main draw of the Saint Francis ITA All-American Championships and at one time rode a five-game winning streak in the spring.
His senior year, however, has been full of ups and downs.
After beginning the spring with three consecutive singles wins, Artem would go on to win only one of his next 13 solo matches. He's been bounced around from court to court, starting the season at the No. 3 position and eventually finding himself out of the lineup altogether.
Then came senior day. The last home match of the year. The last time playing on familiar grounds in front of friends and family. The last time playing at a place you call home.
The 2019 regular season concluded this past Sunday with a matchup against No. 6 Baylor. Five of their six singles players were ranked in the top-125. Their primary doubles tandem was the top in the nation. A win on Sunday would require Tech's best
effort.
"Before the match I told the team that today we were playing for our two seniors and every point you play today you think about them and what they have done for this program," head coach Brett Masi said. "Let's send them out in style and on a good note. If you can do that, you're going to remember it more than you will remember any of your struggles and losses."
A fitting reminder.
Tommy and his playing partner won their doubles match on court two by a score of 6-3. A win by Tech on court one would eventually give the Red Raiders the first match point. With a final match score of 4-3, the doubles point could have been a turning point for Baylor without Tommy and Jackson's win.
"Tommy and Jackson played incredibly solid," Masi said. "Tommy served well, returned well and executed the game plan. Without that half a point, we might not have had the same result."
Singles play would prove to be a back-and-forth affair, with each side exchanging blows until the match total resided at 3-3. The only player left to capture the fourth and final point was Artem.
With all the highs and lows, the success and turmoil, Artem saved his best, perhaps, for last. After winning the first set, Artem's second and possible match-winning set came down to a seventh-point tiebreaker. His opponent took it in seven.
The last match of the year would come down to one final set, with the senior transfer from the Ukraine at the wheel. A happy ending.
Artem finished off his opponent in the third set to clinch the match for the Red Raiders. It was his first match-clinching win at Tech, and it came in his last match in Lubbock. His teammates rushed the court and tackled him to the ground. When he returned to the locker room, they showered him with water and celebrated the moment. His moment.
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BIG mood.
— Texas Tech Men's Tennis (@TexasTechMTEN) April 15, 2019
??#WreckEm?? pic.twitter.com/YaiXt2eIV9
"It was unreal," Kapshuk said. "I'm so happy I could get that win for the team. Maybe I was fighting more for them than for myself. I love these guys so much and to have them there on the sidelines cheering me on during my match is something I will never forget."
Tommy and Artem come from two very different backgrounds. Two opposing sides of the world. Their journeys carved different paths along the way, yet ended on similar ground. Each finished their regular season careers with wins in Lubbock on senior day.
A storybook ending for storied careers.
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Players Mentioned
Vaccari/ Stewart Celebration
Sunday, February 23
Pawlak/Abboud Celebration
Sunday, February 23
Thiago Guglieri Win
Saturday, February 22
Doubles Celebration
Saturday, February 22