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A Brotherly Bond By Jimmy Novak A strong passion for tennis bonds the brotherhood of the 11 members on the University of Iowa men's tennis team. However, the bond between Juan and Andres Estenssoro is stronger, because they are biological brothers. Juan, a junior, transferred from Wichita State before the beginning of the season to join his younger brother Andres, a sophomore, on the Hawkeye tennis squad. "Playing with my brother here at Iowa is great," said Juan. "We always practice back home (in Bolivia), but we never thought we were going to end up at the same school in the United States, so that makes us happy." "I have been playing tennis next to my older brother since I was 8 years old," said Andres. "When my brother transferred here it became just like old times." "We used to compete against each other all the time so we have a lot of respect for each other," said Juan. "Practicing with each other is nothing new, but competing with each other is." Both Juan and Andres have contributed in a big way so far this spring season for the Hawkeyes. They have combined to play in 34 singles matches this spring and have accounted for nine wins. Juan holds a 10-8 record in doubles play. "It's great having the Estenssoro brothers together on the team," said UI head coach Steve Houghton. "Luckily, they don't have to fight it out for a position on the team. You can detect a little bit of a brotherly rivalry at times, although they mask it pretty well. They are both great team guys." Part of Juan and Andres' success can be attributed to them believing in one another on the court. "Juan is someone I can trust," said Andres. "He gives me good advice and is a good teammate to practice with. Whenever I need advice I always go to him." Juan and Andres don't just help one another on the court, but also in the classroom. "Juan and I are both industrial engineer majors, so we help each other study whenever we have a test coming up," said Andres. When it comes to next season, both Juan and Andres share the same goal. "We want Iowa to qualify for the NCAA tournament," said Juan. "Next season will be my last as a collegiate tennis player, so that would be a nice way to go out." 13