OVER the NET
By Zack Elliott
Jan-Feb 2012
Welcome to the January-February edition of “Over the Net!” These first two months are very important to most juniors. They are a chance to wipe the slate clean, to erase all of those miserable losses and painful chokes. They are a chance to declare your tennis-related New Year’s resolutions, to set new goals and restructure your training regime. For me, they are a chance to launch with a new, exciting “Over the Net” article. There were a lot of big tournaments to feature, so many, in fact, that I ended up counting the number of applicants in each one and covering the tournaments with the most players. These ended up being: the THPRD Boys and Girls Dual Level 5 in Beaverton, OR, the VTC Boys and Girls Winter Champs in Vancouver, WA, and the February Endorsement series. I also talked with Nora Tan, a great tennis player and a Varsity Tennis Captain at Mercer Island High School. We discussed what it means to be a captain and the different goals Tan has for herself and her team.
About two weeks after New Year’s Day, from January 13 – 16, the Tualatin Hills Tennis Center in Beaverton, Oregon launched its Boys and Girls Dual Level 5 tournament. In Boys’ 12U Singles, there was a Yu brother showdown, with Thomas Yu beating his brother James Yu 6-2, 6-1. In Boys’ 14U, Noah Schachter defeated Hunter Egger 6-2, 6-2. In Boys’ 16U, Connor Garnett beat Goutham Sundaram 6-2, 6-4, and in Boys’ 18U, Toshiki Matsuya beat Frederik Strabo 6-3, 6-1. Moving on to the girls, in 12U, Joyce Park defeated Nicole Knudtson 7-5, 6-0. In Girls’ 14U, Paiton Wagner defeated Catherine Cable 4-6, 6-2, 7-4 (I’m not quite sure how the super tiebreak was “7-4”). In Girls’ 16U, Bess Waldram beat Vivian Glozman 6-4, 7-6, and in Girls’ 18U, Erin Larner fought an extremely close match with Samantha Hampton, winning 6-3, 4-6, 6-3. Congratulations to all the competitors in this tournament!
In mid-February, the Vancouver Tennis Center also hosted a huge Champs tournament. In Boys’ 12U, Luke Lemaitre beat Andrew Kabacy 6-2, 6-1. In Boys’ 14U, Jason Lui defeated Avinash Vemuri 6-0, 6-2. In Boys’ 16U, Wyatt Demulling clinched the title, beating Jamie Thorp 6-4, 4-6, 1-0. In Boys’ 18U, Iacopo Beltramo defeated Stas Pakhomov 6-4, 4-6, 1-0 as well. Moving on to the girls, Amelia Vu defeated Anna Lowy to win the 12U title. In Girls’ 14U, Julia Haynes beat Megan Hagerty 6-0, 6-0. In Girls’ 16U, Kylee Breimon defeated Andjela Stojkovic 6-3, 6-2, and in Girls’ 18U, Catherine Hueffner had a solid win over Jessica Laurie 6-1, 6-0. Great job competing to all!
Whenever covering February, it’s important not to miss the Endorsement tournaments. The Boys’ 12U Endorsements tournament was again a Yu brother showdown, with Thomas Yu beating James Yu 6-1, 6-4. In Boys’ 14U, Noah Schachter beat Daniel Park 6-2, 6-2. In Boys’ 16U, Mitch Stewart defeated Nikolas Cable 6-1, 6-3, and in Boys’ 18U, Toshiki Matsuya took the title over Vicente Varas 6-1, 6-1. In Girls’ 12U, Joyce Park defeated Agyeponmaa Mintah 6-3, 6-0, and in Girls’ 14U, Catherine Cable beat Paiton Wagner 6-0, 6-1. In Girls’ 16U, Bess Waldram beat Samantha Hampton 7-6, 6-4, and in Girls’ 18U, Erin Larner beat Samantha Hampton 6-1, 7-6. Congrats to everyone who qualified for Endorsements!
The Mercer Island High School Girls tennis team has a lot of good players. However, one of them especially stands out as a great tennis player and motivated leader. Junior Nora Tan (on left in below photo with partner Kelly Crandall) has been with the Varsity Team since freshman year, and has helped them win multiple, grueling state titles. She is also one of the team’s varsity captains. Right before the beginning of this year’s Girls tennis season, I talked with her about her experience on the high school team.
Over the Net: When did you start playing tennis?
Nora Tan: I started when I was 9 years old!
OTN: How long have you played on the high school tennis team?
NT: I’ve been on the varsity team since freshman year.
OTN: How do you feel about being a varsity tennis captain? What are your responsibilities?
NT: I feel honored to be voted by my fellow teammates as one of the co-captains. It’s definitely a leadership position that carries a lot of responsibilities, on and off the court. Off the court, we run the preliminary varsity tryout tournament, design uniforms, and think of fun activities/games to play during practice. During the season, we run practices and team dinners. On the court, we try to be role models in both effort and attitude, and we lead the team in supporting each other at matches! This is my first year as a captain, but so far I love it!
OTN: What is your favorite part about playing on your high school team?
NT: The team camaraderie is definitely the best part. Playing in USTA tournaments is brutal for any player, because the only people on the court are you and your opponent, and everyone else is “against” you. With a team and coach to support you, you’re playing for something larger than yourself, and it’s such a great feeling to share your wins with them.
OTN: Last year your team won the WA State 3A tournament and you took 2nd place in doubles – describe that incredible experience.
NT: It was definitely a rollercoaster of emotions. Losing in the third set to the doubles team that we had beaten the week before in the District final was almost heartbreaking... but then winning the team state title certainly eclipsed the temporary low we were experiencing. I was blessed to have such an experienced and loyal doubles partner in Kelly (Crandall), and having Mindy (our coach) and probably half of the Mercer Island population cheering us on in the third set is definitely something I will never forget. And winning the state title for the third year in a row, by one point… the greatest feeling in the world.
OTN: What are your personal goals for this high school season?
NT: I hope to be a role model for my teammates. And looking ahead to the postseason, I hope to lead the team to another state title.
OTN: What are your team's goals for this season?
NT: We are definitely going for another undefeated regular season, and hopefully our fourth consecutive team state title.
OTN: What is some advice you would give other high school captains striving to be successful team leaders?
NT: I think a great display of sportsmanship on and off the court inspires others and establishes a positive vibe. Despite the leadership position, I think having fun and showing enthusiasm for the team and the sport is the best thing a leader can do.
A big thank you to Nora for the interview, along with a big congrats to all the juniors who participated in the above tournaments. It takes a lot of guts to get out there on the court, and a lot of drive to play your heart out.
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