Special from
Zoo Tennis
| Share: |  |
|  | |
|
|
Kalamazoo, Mich. - Darwin Blanch spends most of his time practicing and playing on clay outdoors, so the prospect of an indoor final at the USTA Boys 16s National Championship last Sunday could have unnerved him.
Singles Champion Darwin Blanch
© Zoo Tennis
But the 14-year-old left-hander from Florida took the decision to move the championship match from drizzle-plagued Stowe Stadium to the Markin Indoor Tennis Center at Kalamazoo College in stride, outlasting Calvin Baierl 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 for the title.
The fifth-seeded Blanch, who received entry via a wild card, had his share of tests coming into the final, playing three consecutive three-setters, including a 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 win over No. 9 seed Mitchell Lee in the semifinals.
