From an outside perspective, Bozhidar Katsarov, Kallim Stewart and Pedro Zerbini seem to have nothing in common.

There's Stewart-a tall, confident guy with both the swagger of an athlete and a contagious good nature.

There's Zerbini, whose quiet intensity is offset by a subtle yet unmistakable sense of humor.

And rounding out the group is Katsarov, a soft-spoken individual who would rather study business on a Saturday night than go out to parties.

So how are these seemingly dissimilar guys at all alike?

As it turns out, they have a lot in common.

Besides being standouts of the Cal men's tennis team, the three come from foreign countries, share a house in Berkeley and attended the same high school tennis program-the Weil Tennis Academy in Ojai, Calif.

"Players come from all over to be a part of the (Academy)," Bears coach Peter Wright says. "All different cultures, all different places; they come together there to have a common experience."

For student-athletes with lofty goals like Stewart, Zerbini and Katsarov, Weil was the place to be. Boasting over 250 athletes in Division I tennis and a handful of NCAA All-Americans, the program produces winners. Additionally, the Academy teams up with local Ojai schools to arrange academic programs that suit the athletes' needs.

"It was pretty normal, but you'd go to half a day of school and then the rest of the day you'd play tennis," says junior and No. 54-ranked Stewart, whose decision to attend the academy was influenced by a lack of competition in his home state of Indiana. "The Academy was a place where I could practice and get better. I could really be serious about tennis and see how good I could be."

Stewart, born in Malaysia, moved to Bloomington, Ind., when he was two years old. He started playing tennis around the age of 10, but didn't make it his top priority until later.

"I played in tournaments when I was twelve, but I was always playing a lot of other sports, so I didn't really get serious about tennis until I was about 14 or 15," says Stewart. "When I first got to the Academy (at 16), I was maybe (ranked No.) 200 or so in the country. When I left, I was a much better player."

He finished his high school career as the No. 1 recruit in the nation.

Meanwhile, 5,000 miles away in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Zerbini had goals and experiences similar to Stewart's. Zerbini began playing casually with his family around 10 and was inspired to pursue the sport seriously by Brazilian tennis legend Gustavo Kuerten.

The now-sophomore discovered the Academy after a friend attended and came home noticeably improved.

Zerbini started at Weil at age 16. And while he may have found success in a new environment, it didn't make him invulnerable to homesickness.

"It was tough sometimes, being away from home," says Zerbini. "Even now I miss (my family), and a lot of stuff from back home. The coaches have different styles, there are different people, places to go, things to do. It's hard sometimes, but it was and is a great experience ."

Bulgarian native Katsarov lived the first 15 years of his life in the small town of Plovdiv and moved to America so his father could coach and he could play at Weil. According to Katsarov, his tennis experience in Bulgaria was a far cry from what he has in the U.S. today; not only was his father his only coach, but he also had to make treks to practice in snow and freezing conditions.

"It's pretty different in Bulgaria," says Katsarov. "Coming here (for Weil) wasn't an easy transition."

Coming to Cal, however, was considerably easier. The sophomore established a new freshman singles record of 35-11 last year, has upheld near-perfect grades and found out yesterday that he was accepted into the undergraduate program of the Haas School of Business.

"(Katsarov) has the lucky quality that allows him to stay focused on his studies and tennis and avoid distractions," says Stewart.

After spending nearly every minute of every day together in high school and continuing to do so in college, the teammates and friends have gotten to know each other quite well.

Even so, each has managed to maintain the independence of his game.

"They all have very distinct playing styles," Wright says. "Kallim plays a very smooth, flowing game based on a big serve and forehand. Pedro is explosive and passionate. Bo is a grinder; he works hard in his matches and plays in a way that wears his opponents down both physically and mentally."

From their styles of play to their off-court personalities, Stewart, Zerbini and Katsarov might be as different a group of guys as you'll find.

But while the three started out in homes in different corners of the globe, tennis has brought them together. And for the moment, these well-traveled players have settled on one court in California.

Tags: CAL MEN'S TENNIS, BOZHIDAR KATSAROV, PEDRO ZERBINI, KALLIM STEWART