Bogatov to serve for Spartans

Sometimes a tough decision suddenly crystallizes.

On the eve of the new year, Warren senior Denis Bogatov was still unsure about where he would play his college tennis. Then, an official visit to Michigan State in early January cleared it all up.

Bogatov, the defending IHSA state tennis singles champion, recently gave the Spartans a verbal commitment. Bogatov, who was admitted into their honors program, will receive a combined athletic and academic scholarship.

"We've paid quite a lot (of money) for my tennis so I wanted it to pay off (financially) in the end," Bogatov said.

Bogatov also seriously considered Wisconsin, Notre Dame and Brown. He was impressed with Michigan State's coaching staff, teammates and facilities. Bogatov stands an excellent chance to contribute on the court immediately.

Before that, though, comes his third and final tennis season for Warren. As a freshman, Bogatov attended a tennis academy in Florida.

"I'm always excited for high school tennis," Bogatov said. "It's just a cool atmosphere."

After placing third at the state tournament as a sophomore, Bogatov was one of the favorites to win it all as a junior. He did so with a memorable 7-6(5), 7-5 victory over Glenbrook North's Eric Spector in a match that took almost 21/2 hours.

"I had only beaten him one out of 10 times (or so), so for me to perform like that was pretty exhilarating," Bogatov said.

When the 150-pound Bogatov was a sophomore, he stood just 5-feet-4. Since then, he's grown 8 inches, three in the last year, and can play a more powerful game.

"I'm hitting the ball cleaner and harder," he said. "I'm getting more pace on my serve and I can handle topspin more efficiently."