TOURNAMENTS
8/6/07 -- Ann Arbor Junior Open (Ann Arbor, MI)
- placed third with notable wins over:
- Kyle Gerber 6-4, 6-1
- Peter Dunn 4-6, 6-3, 6-1
- Derek Than 1-6, 6-1, 6-3
7/27/07 -- Midwest Open Championships (Chicago, IL)
- advanced to the semifinals of the doubles competition with partner Kent Winingham:
- win over Warren Elgort - Robbie Erani 8-4
- win over Samuel Harland - Max Willner (3) 8-6
- win over Rekhi Little - Aaron May 8-6
- win over Patrick Bandy - David Farah (8) 9-8 (4)
7/8/07 -- St. Louis Junior Tennis Championships (St. Louis, MO)
- win over Cole Glass 6-1, 6-3
6/15/07 -- Midwest Junior Davis Cup Championships (Kalamazoo, MI)
- win over Alex Hager 6-2, 6-4
- win over Ryan Richmond 7-5, 6-4
5/26/07 -- Court One Classic Invitational (Okemos, MI)
- win over Varun Chari 6-1, 3-2 ret.
5/5/07 -- Interscholastics East (Lexington, KY)
- win over Daniel Arnold 6-2, 6-2
- win over Patrick Whitner 5-7, 6-4, 10-7
4/27/07 -- ITC Junior Boys Spring Outdoor Open (Indianapolis, IN)
- won singles backdraw
- won doubles title with Rich Lytle (beat top-seeded Zach Ervin and Michael Rardon 6-1, 6-1)
3/10/07 -- Midwest Designated March Series (New Berlin, WI)
- win over Michael Rardon 6-3, 4-6, 6-2
1/19/07 -- MITA Grand Prix (Bloomington, IL)
- win over Scott Shepardson 7-6, 6-3
1/13/07 -- Midwest Designated January Series (Northbrook, IL)
- win over David Farah 7-5, 4-1 ret.
These are a few of my tournament highlights from 2007. My greatest accomplishments of the summer were winning both of my singles matches at the Midwest Junior Davis Cup Championships (representing Central Indiana), reaching the semifinals of the doubles competition at the Midwest Open with partner Kent Winingham, and placing third at the Ann Arbor Junior Open. And my all-time favorite tennis memory is playing 12s Zonals at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York (where the U.S. Open is played). That was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience and certainly one I'll never forget.
HIGH SCHOOL
I placed 3rd in the State Singles tournament this past season (fall of '07). I posed wins over Nick Volz, Patrick Elliott (twice), Bren Vasalakis, Felipe Watanabe, and Omar Turk. I was also named a member of the 1st Team All-State squad and the Academic All-State Team. In addition, I was voted the Kiwanis Leadership Award winner of my team (by my team). I concluded my career at Reitz Memorial High School with a record of 89-15.
ACADEMY
I have trained at the Smith-Stearns Tennis Academy on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina every Spring Break for the past five years, and I hope to play there again this spring. The instruction is world-class. Stan Smith is a master of the serve and the volleys, and I love working with him. He's also one of the nicest people (not to mention one of the nicest pros) I know. He knows that every kid is different and goes out of his way to learn about us and find the best way to instruct us. Billy Stearns is an incredible coach as well; I love his fiery attitude on court and find him to be a really inspiring person. He also knows the game better than anyone I've ever met. But not only does the academy offer unbelievable coaching; the competition there is first-rate as well. A lot of nationally top-ranked juniors attend the academy, and I really enjoy playing with them. They all love the game just as much as I do, and that's what makes my time there so enjoyable and worthwhile.
