Deafness does not obstruct Giuffrida
UNLV freshman Andrew Giuffrida never has been one to shy away from a challenge.
Considering the everyday barriers he has overcome, Giuffrida has had little trouble embarking on his first college tennis season with confidence and determination.
Giuffrida, who is deaf, has earned the No. 6 spot in the Rebels’ lineup, and coach Owen Hambrook said he’s amazed the 18-year-old has overcome such a disability.
“It’s important to be able to hear what’s going on (during a tennis match),” Hambrook said. “That’s why they’re always asking for quiet. A lot of players listen for the sound of the ball bouncing. It’s got a lot to do with your rhythm. Andrew can’t (hear the ball well), but he still plays at such a high level. It’s quite remarkable.”
Giuffrida earned his first win for UNLV on Feb. 2 in his second match, beating New Mexico State’s Alejandro de Mucha, 7-5, 6-1. Subsequent losses have dropped him to 1-3.
“My goal right now is just to get better,” said Giuffrida, an expert lip-reader who also has a cochlear implant that has improved his hearing.
“Now I can hear about 50 percent of the sound. When I was a kid, I had difficulty with it. I could only hear about 10 percent, so (the implant) has helped me get into a university.”
But deafness has not been Giuffrida’s only language-related hurdle. He was born in Argentina, where Spanish was his primary language.
“English is my biggest problem, but I’m working hard to improve it,” he said. “It’s harder for me because I’m deaf. It’s not easy for a deaf person to learn two languages.”
Giuffrida moved to California to play his prep tennis at Thousand Oaks High School, where he was an honor roll student and a three-year letterman. He began considering college tennis after longtime friend Wesley Burrows wound up playing at UNLV.
“Wes helped me get here,” Giuffrida said. “And I’m so happy to have an opportunity to play at a Division I school. It’s a dream come true.”
For now, Giuffrida is playing only singles, but Hambrook said Giuffrida could work his way into the doubles lineup.
“Doubles is something we’ll have to work through,” Hambrook said. “But he’s definitely got the potential.”
Communication between teammates is vital to doubles success, but Burrows said he doesn’t see why Giuffrida couldn’t play with a partner.
“A lot of the communication in doubles is nonverbal,” Burrows said. “When guys get really good together, they really don’t need to speak much.”
For now, Giuffrida would rather not think about adding new responsibilities. Instead, he plans to focus on playing solid singles and helping the 75th-ranked Rebels win their second consecutive Mountain West Conference title.
UNLV (2-3), in the midst of a challenging nonconference schedule, will try to break a two-match losing streak Feb. 23 against UC Riverside at the Fertitta Tennis Complex.
