Tournament Feature
Marla, Seeded No. 15, Captures Boys 12s Singles Title
by James Hill, 13 August 2024
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Ishaan Marla won the singles competition of the USTA Boys 12s National Championships, while James Borchard and Nathan Lee were the doubles champions in Mobile, Alabama.
Singles Champion Ishaan Marla
© Contributed Photo
The 15th-seeded Marla (Mason, Ohio) defeated No. 3 Rex Kulman (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) 6-0, 6-4 in the singles title match at Mobile Tennis Center.
The No. 2 tandem of Borchard (Thousand Oaks, California) and Lee (Tustin, California) claimed the doubles championship with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over top-seeded Daniel Gardality (San Diego, California) and David Bender (Indian Harbour Beach, Florida).
Marla earned his first Level 1 gold ball with the win over Kulman. He fought his way to the finals by beating the fourth-seeded Lee in three sets in the quarterfinals (after losing the opening stanza), and the No. 1 seed Gardality 6-0, 6-2 in the semifinals. Gardality had swept the singles and doubles titles (with Bender) at last month’s USTA Clay Courts.
“My mental preparation and attitude helped me,” Marla said. “I really don’t play 12s that much. But, I definitely have the skills with them. My biggest weapon was my forehand.”
Kulman was a 6-2, 6-2 winner over No. 2 Borchard in the singles semifinals. Borchard went on to capture third place in a 6-4, 6-2 matchup with Gardality.
Borchard and Lee had to fight to win the doubles championship match with Gardality and Bender. After winning the opening set, they were down 4-0 before battling back to take the second 6-4.
“In the second set, we were down and started to focus more,” Borchard said. “We lobbed over the net and Nathan hit big forehands. He hits the ball really hard on his forehand and I can poach off it.”
Doubles Champions James Borchard & Nathan Lee
© Contributed Photo
Borchard and Lee beat the No. 5 team of Udham Singh (Sunnyvale, California) and Brishan Paul (San Jose, California) 6-4, 6-4 in the semifinals. Gardality and Bender had a semifinals doozie with ninth seeds Marla and Evan Fan (Mason, Ohio), winning 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 6-2.
Singh and Paul took third place in a three-setter, beating Marla and Fan 7-5, 1-6 6-3.
Samuel Hartley (Charlottesville, Virginia) was selected as the tournament sportsmanship winner.
Other singles winners:
Gold - David Bender (Indian Harbour Beach, Florida)
West - Brishan Paul (San Jose, California)
North - Krish Advani (San Jose, California)
South - Samuel Hartley (Charlottesville, Virginia)
Northeast - Christian Pohoski (Camarillo, California)
Northwest - Kellan Stratton (Forest Hills, New York)
Southwest - London Slaton (Thousand Oaks, California)
Southeast - Edward Tseng (Irvine, California)
Silver - Eli Flynn (Blacksburg, South Carolina)
