BY SCOTT HUNTER HADDOW
Local tennis prodigy Samuel Jean-Louis isn't
afraid of taking risks, and it's paying off as he goes for
glory at the Ontario Junior Closed Championships.
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Samuel Jean-Louis is looking to
establish himself as one of the premiere tennis players
in Ontario. |
Jean-Louis will compete all next week in
Toronto, starting Monday, July 11 to the 18th, against the top
32 players from Ontario in the Under-14 division.
Jean-Louis will enter the tournament in the
bottom half of the rankings (32nd), but is sure to move up a
few notches thanks to two tournament wins recently in Sudbury,
the points of which haven't been compiled yet by Tennis
Ontario.
At 13, Jean-Louis is looking to establish
himself as one of the premiere players in Ontario.
The competitive youngster is actually looking
forward to facing the best in Ontario, which he certainly will
because of his ranking.
"I am out to prove, even though I may be the
last player to get in, I can compete with the top players in
the province," said Jean-Louis. "To do that, I have to beat
some seeded and high-ranked players."
Jean-Louis has plenty of confidence in his
game and sees his low ranking as an advantage.
"I am ready," said Jean-Louis. "I have played
five straight tournaments in a row, with good results and
that's given me good experience. The lower ranking can only
help me."
Jean-Louis has been hard at work, putting a
sharp edge on his skills by training five hours a day.
"Right now, my serve is working well for me,"
said Jean-Louis. "I can hit it really hard and place it where I
want. The serve is very important because it can get you free
points."
Jean-Louis' coach, James Longstreet, sees a
fiery competitor who doesn't hesitate to make a move on the
court to take control of a game.
"Ninety-five percent of junior players
Samuel's age all play a safe game," said Longstreet. "That's a
style that will give them success now, but not in
the future. Sam isn't afraid to take a risk
out there. He plays the whole court. Even if it means losing a
few matches right now, he will be better for it
down the road when he's 17. Sam has a good
work ethic and excellent raw skills. It's a great combination
to have."
Longstreet also sees a vast improvement in
Jean-Louis' array of tennis weapons.
"His serve is great right now, especially in
the last five weeks," said Longstreet. "His ground strokes are
also more confident now. With his latest wins, Sam is
definitely in the top-30 in Ontario and climbing. He has
already established himself."
Jean-Louis is also strengthening his mental
toughness, and keeping his emotions in check while in the heat
of the battle.
"I am working on not showing my frustration,"
said Jean-Louis. "I am just really competitive...and I don't
like to lose."
Jean-Louis' exploits at the provincials can
be followed on the Tennis Ontario website at
tennisontario.com
.
