Academy News
July 3, 2010
SDTA takes 5 titles at Georgia State Southern Qualifier -
La Duca and Reese win singles titles
It was a very successful 2010 for SDTA players at the Georgia State Southern Qualifier.
When it was all set and done, SDTA players took 5 titles with
Hunter Reese taking the Boys 18’s
singles and doubles,
Nicole La Duca also took the singles and doubles
in the girls 16’s and
Christopher Yun took the Boys 12’s doubles.
Other players that did very well in singles were:
Andrew Goodwin (4th place boys 18’s),
Garrett Gordon (Quarterfinalist boys 18’s),
Elliot Orkin (5th place boys 16’s),
Christopher Yun (4th place boys 12’s),
Hayes Brewer (top 12 boys 16’s),
Megen Cochran (top 12 girls 14’s),
Katerina Guarino (top 16 girls 14’s),
Daniel Yun (top 16 boys 14’s). Congratulations to all!
SDTA’S Hunter Reese continues winning ways with titles at National Open,
Georgia State and Southern Closed Championships
It has been a great start to the summer for SDTA’s
Hunter Reese as he has taking over the Boys 18’s
with big wins at the
National Open in Atlanta,
Georgia State Qualifier in Macon and
Southern Closed Championships in Little Rock, Ark. Over the last month Hunter is on a 18 match
winning streak while only losing one set in all three tournaments. With this incredible achievement
he as climb to the number # 1 ranking in the south for the Boys 18’s division and has become
SDTA’s most successful and highest ranked player which was previously held by Ryan Smith
who now plays for Georgia Tech. Congratulations to Hunter and keep up the good work!
SDTA at Harrison TennisCenter up to an impressive start in 2010
The Stephen Diaz Tennis Academy is up to
a fantastic start in 2010 with many of its players succeeding at the National,
Southern and State levels. In the Boys 18’s division
Hunter Reese and
Garrett Gordon
have simply put on a show this spring. Reese just won the National Open at Hudlow Tennis Center
without dropping a set. Unseeded in the championship he defeated the #1 seed first round and
went through the draw in impressive fashion. Gordon has had great success this spring by winning
the prestigious Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, FL. , top 8 at National Open at Hudlow,
top 6 at National Open in Tampa, Fl. semifinalist at Southern Bullfrog in
Memphis and finalist at the Southern Spring Closed in Mobile.
With all this amazing results both Hunter and Garrett have risen to a top 10 ranking in the
south and are raking up national points on their first years of 18 & under competition.
With the meat of the tournament season coming up, these two big guns are more than ready
to take over anyone in their way. Other notables that have shown improvement this year are
Connor Sova,
Matthew Johnson and Warren McClure.
In the 16 & under division
Elliot Orkin,
Nicole La Duca,
Hayes Brewer and
Danny Bruce have all had great success this spring.
With wins in Jackson and Clemson and top 10 finishes in Memphis, Baton Rouge, Mobile and a top 12 finish
at the recent National Open at Harrison Tennis Center, Orkin has improve his ranking from
top 100 in the south to a current number 7. It has been a magnificent ride for Elliot and
he looks forward to all the challenges coming up this summer.
Brewer and Bruce have also had some success at the Southern level with top 12 finishes in Clemson,
Baton Rouge and Mobile. Bruce is now top 25 in the south while Brewer top 35.
They both need to step it up this summer in order to make it to Super Nationals in Kalamazoo.
La Duca mostly playing up in the 18’s went to Mobile for the Southern Spring Closed and took first place
while beaten the number one seed in the way to the title. She also made it to the top 12 at the National Open
at Harrison Tennis Center along with Orkin.
Other notables winning rounds at the southern level in the 16’s are
Melina Blasetti,
Parker Evertsen and
Trevor Gotkowski.
In the 14 & under division we have many players that have had tremendous success
at the southern level and have shown great improvement over the course of the year.
Marshall Brown,
Chase Smith,
Jake Darrah
are our top 3 performers this year that have reach the top 30 in the south, while others like
Daniel Yun,
Katarina Guarino,
Matthew Marin,
Eric Wagaski and
Kristen Jones are showing good results,
but are looking to become more consistent with their performances.
When it comes down to the 12 & under rookies
Chris Yun has made
the biggest leap of anyone. Yun could not get in a Southern Bullfrog earlier in the year
and once he finally did, he has taking charge and is now in the top 30 in the south.
Also
Jonathan Jamison playing mostly local tournaments
in the 14’s have also had great success. Other notables at the local level and
ready to make the leap to the southern level are
Walker Benson and
Ryan Rowedder.
SDTA has been at Harrison Tennis Center since 2007 and with its success over the last 14 years,
has grown to become one of the most successful academies in the south for the development of
junior players for competitive, recreational and beginner levels.
In 2010 we have added the
Quick Start Select program for players 7-10 and also the
Peak Performance Group for high level players looking to take their game to a national level.
For anyone looking to improve their game at the tournament level we have the
High Performance Challenger,
Championship and
Premier levels. For those looking to improve their game
in order to tryout for their JV and V teams we have the
Pre High School and
High School levels.
