NorCal Juniors Make a Strong Showing at Winter Nationals

A USTA national championship trophy is what most players strive for, and it is no easy feat to win a coveted gold, silver, or bronze ball. Recently, many of our NorCal juniors attended Winter Nationals in Florida and Arizona and represented our section proudly with four of our very own taking home some national championship glory. 

 

We caught up with each player below to relive their hard-fought battles and impressive wins to bring some new hardware back to Northern California. 

 

Sephi Sheng (Girls' 12s: Singles Gold Ball and Doubles Silver Ball)

How does it feel to win two national balls, including singles gold?

Winning two national balls in the same tournament was amazing. I've been working really hard and having my first ball be gold was very special.  

 

Was there a defining moment or match for you in the tournament?

The defining match was beating the No. 1 seed in the Round of 16. At first, I thought I had a bad draw, but my dad kept telling me that it was the other way around. After I won, I had the confidence to win the tournament.  

Did you feel pressure in doubles after winning your singles gold ball?

No, I did not feel pressure after winning the singles gold ball to win gold in doubles. It was my first time playing with my doubles partner, but our goal was to have fun and do our best, and it paid off. Winning a silver ball with Welles Newman was amazing.  

 

What did you do to celebrate?

I celebrated by getting my nails done and going to my favorite restaurant with my family. 

Vihaan Reddy (Boys' 12s: Singles Gold Ball and Doubles Bronze Ball)

How does it feel to win two national balls, including a singles gold?

I feel very happy to win two balls at Winter Nationals. I also want to give credit to my partner for getting us out of difficult situations at times during our doubles match.

 

Was there a defining moment or match for you in the tournament?

After I lost the second set in the final, I just sat down and listened to what my coach had to say. His advice was really good and I became more aggressive and put my opponent on the defense. I felt like that was the turning point for me in the final/tournament.

Did you feel pressure in doubles after winning your singles gold ball?

No, I did not feel any pressure at all after winning the gold ball. If anything, it just took a big burden off my back.

 

What did you do to celebrate?

After my last point in singles, I let out a big “Let’s go!” I don't think I've actually ever done that before.

Tanishk Konduri (Boys' 12s: Doubles Gold Ball and Singles 4th) 

Did you and your doubles partner have a game plan going into the tournament, especially if it was your first time playing together?

The game plan was to win the Gold Ball (laughs). We played against each other in the finals of the last L1 tournament we played in, so we knew each other's strengths and weaknesses. We thought if we played the way we are both capable of, we had a real chance to do very well in the tournament.

 

Was it fun to play with someone outside of NorCal with whom you have gone head-to-head before?

Yes, certainly. National tournaments give us a unique opportunity to expand our tennis friendships and that's what I love most about them. It's not just tennis on the court. 

Even table tennis with broken racquets is fun with new friends. Speaking specifically of Izyan (my doubles partner), it was great that he and I showed a lot of resilience in the quarterfinals. We were one game away from elimination and in the semifinals, we saved two match points. We both reserved our very best for the final.

 

How does it feel to win a national ball, especially gold? 

Strangely, it feels normal, possibly because I came close the last time I tried (Silver Ball at the L1 Indoors in Indiana last month). It is certainly a great end to last year and great motivation to start a new year. I realize how lucky I am, but all of the work I put in last year seemed worth it when I was smiling for a picture with a National Gold Ball in my hand.

 

Did you do anything to celebrate?

Not really. I was just happy to get back, eat my mom's food, and sleep in my own bed after all those days away from home!

Mitchell Lee (Boys' 16s: Singles Gold Ball)

How does it feel to win not only your first USTA National Ball but a Gold Ball?

Winning my first ball was very satisfying. It made it even sweeter that it was a gold ball and in singles. It was also the main reason I decided to play 16s because I really wanted to win a super national and finally get a ball. The fact that I didn’t get one from getting second at the Spring Level 1 and other Level 1 tournaments this year made me more motivated than ever. That is why this win felt even better.

 

Was there a defining moment or match for you in the tournament?

For me, my fourth-round match against Tygen Goldammer was a pivotal moment in the tournament. I was down two set points in the first set and then pulled it out. But then I was down 0-2 in the second when I started cramping. I honestly thought it was over because I didn’t think it would be possible to win a set whole cramping against him. On top of this, I started the third set getting broken at love and was down 0-30 in the next game. I actually looked at my dad and he told me to withdraw but I didn’t want to be out of the tournament.

I somehow came back and won the match 6-2 in the third. This was very important for my confidence in the tournament because I honestly should not have won that match at all. I should have been out of the tournament, yet I was still alive in the main draw quarterfinals. I really feel this helped me for the rest of the tournament as my game began to feel better every match.

 

What were the reactions from your family, as you and your siblings have been dominant in NorCal?

My dad was extra stoked because he was there to witness it himself in person. It was also extra special because this was one of the few tournaments my dad came to watch and I won it so it was even better. My mom and sisters were actually keeping up with all my matches on PlaySight back in California along with my coach and also even my extended family. They were all super happy for me and my success which was great.

 

How did you celebrate this milestone achievement?

To celebrate, I hung out with some of my NorCal friends at the site but I had to hurry up and catch a flight back home later that evening. My school started that day, so when I came back that Tuesday, I was straight back to school and there honestly wasn’t that much celebrating. It was more just back to the grind. However, I did soak it in and enjoyed the following days with my family and friends.

 

Congratulations to our winners, as well as all of our NorCal junior players who competed at Winter Nationals. Plus, check out photos from the whole weekend here.