Inspired by the words of A Glimmer of Hope Foundation founder Donna Berber, Arnold and Eileen Van Den Berg first sponsored the construction of a well in 2006, built to honor the Helping Hand Home for Children, a non-profit organization that supports abused children. Additionally, the Van Den Berg’s funded another well in 2006. During the same period, Jim and Stacie Brilliant funded a “Brilliant Family” well, but these two wells were only the start of this family’s expression.

“No one should be thirsty,” the declarative proclamation of the Brilliants’ t-shirt set on a blooming tie-dye back-ground. In 2007, Grey and Sav, as their affectionately known around ATA, created the t-shirts illustrating the critical water shortage in Ethiopia. 12 year old Greyson and 10 year old Savannah took the lead, working with their schools’ administrators to help draw attention to the effort. By selling the t-shirts at school and committing the resources to a well project, the Brilliants not only helped hundreds of Ethiopians, they raised awareness of the global water crisis. With the proceeds, the young Brilliants  helped fund a well in honor of Linda Womack, a close friend of the Brilliants who recently succumbed to cancer.

Recently, Greyson and Savannah Brilliant sought to honor their grandmother, Eileen Van Den Berg for the selfless values of service that she and grandfather Arnold have instilled in them. Already familiar with the ‘Playing for Glimmer’ campaign through their grandparents’ involvement and the Austin Tennis Academy, Savannah and Greyson met with Director of Social Investment Eric Schmidhauser from A Glimmer of Hope Foundation in order to dually honor Eileen and help serve the interests of those in need. The path Savannah and Greyson selected required personal sacrifice.
 
Greyson and Savannah decided to help finance a water well in the Worebtie village of the Amhara region in Ethiopia. In order to tackle an endeavor of this magnitude, Savannah and Greyson sacrificed their holiday presents completely, committing those resources to the construction of a hand-dug water well in Eileen Van Den Berg’s honor.
 
This well serves approximately 250 beneficiaries in the Woretbie village, providing water and allowing time and energy for kids to go to school and women to engage in more productive activities. The well has transformed the lives of the people living in this rural village. In Mr. Schmidhauser’s words to Grey and Sav: “your willingness to give up your holiday gifts to provide the gift of clean water to those in need thousands of miles away is an amazing inspiration for others to follow.”
 
Savannah and Greyson, and the Brilliant and Van Den Berg family expressed love in several directions at once. And, they personally sacrificed in order to accomplish this goal. Funding five wells, each person acted with a willingness to lead towards a noble objective, important from any individual and especially courageous from youth. Savannah and Greyson embody ATA’s commitment to excellence in every aspect of life and the realization of Drummond’s summum bonum.

Allie Burak dominated the 12s division without dropping a set. In five wins, Allie’s closest set was a 6-4 tally in the first round. Coach Notis said, “Allie played several matches that appeared closer than the final score, she competed with poise through out the draw”. With the draw victory Allie qualifies for the Super-Champ level in just three Champ tournaments. In her final round match, Allie defeated ATA teammate Carli Knezevich in two sets. With three main-draw wins, including a 7-5, 6-4 win over (4) seed Maire Clayton, Knezevich is one point away from a Super-Champ designation. Savannah Brilliant lost two close sets to Jessica Vieira in the first round.

Dylan Ritter was ready to Super-qualify this weekend. In three main-draw wins Dylan was “confident and poised”, said Coach Notis. In his qualifying match, Dylan left no doubt about his Super-Champ ability, dismissing (3) Samuel Gao 6-2, 6-1. Zane Ritter won three main-draw matches, winning the second volume of what has become an epic series with (2) seed Krishna Jana: 6-4, 4-6, 6-1. Last month in San Antonio, Jana outlasted Zane 6-4 in the third set. Zane’s willingness to “fight through adversity” is a big reason he’s primed to Super-Qualify said Coach Notis. Payton Holden rolled through his first two main-draw opponents, trouncing Julian Oda 6-0, 6-0 to make the quarter-final round. Breck Spencer won his first round over Michael Tang 6-1, 6-2. Austin Doyle won two main-draw rounds for the second consecutive Champ Major Zone, outlasting Andrew Miller 6-0, 1-6, 6-1 to advance to the quarter-final round. In a second round loss, Breck played Eric Morris very close, losing 7-5, 7-6(5). Pierce Kelley played what Coach Simon called “tough tennis”, posting a 6-4, 0-6, 6-3. Greyson Brilliant won two back-draw matches, beating B.G. Slay 6-3, 6-1, while Daniel Howell and Ryan Burak each played two matches in their first Champ tournament experiences.

Allie Carlisle won two girls 14s back-draw matches, competing well to beat Marissa Lopez 6-3, 6-4. Beating Jenna McCready 6-3, 6-2 and Jennifer Lawton 6-3, 6-3 both in the main-draw, Christine Schatz showed her recent focus. Christine overcame a back injury to make the girls 16s main-draw quarter-final round in Kerrville.

Daniel Wang won two three set matches on his way to the final round. In the second round, Daniel overcame a 1-6 first set to Michael Martin, winning the final two frames 7-5, 7-5. And in the semi-final round, Wang again came back from a first set loss to beat (2) Kristofer Andresen 3-6, 6-1, 6-3. All weekend “Daniel dug himself out of holes” commented Notis, adding that “any more performances like that and Daniel will be a Super-Champ”.

The Kerrville Champ Major Zone was a fantastic event for the Austin Tennis Academy, two students qualified and several are primed to quickly follow. The ATA staff is excited by these results and looks forward to more strong results and Super qualifiers at the June 13th-15th Harlingen Champ Major Zone. Register now, the deadline for entry is June 1st.

Now, for the third time in his collegiate career, the Texas A & M University senior Captain notably earned a spot on the Academic All-Big 12 First Team. With a 3.361 GPA and a double major in Marketing and Finance, Bain will graduate in May, closing a remarkable tenure at A & M both on the court and in the classroom. 

The Austin Tennis Academy is proud to have Matt Bain as part of an esteemed class of Alumni that includes highly successful people who are truly scholar-athletes. Congratulations to Matt Bain on his recent recognition. In May, Matt and Texas A & M will compete in the NCAA Division I National Championships, his third trip to the year-ending collegiate championship.

Winning their way until a semi-final meeting with top seeded King High High School at the historic McFarlin Tennis Center in San Antonio, Blair Jones and Shane Berber felt their own pressure. Jones said: “we kept telling each other that this is not our last match, we have the playoff". Their goal was clear from the outset of the Regional: “We were there to qualify for State, I think being so solid on that goal really helped us”.

The High School 'playback' system allows the two losing semi-final teams to play each other and then the finalist, giving an accurate estimation of the true second place finisher, and thus State qualifying team. In their first playback match, Berber and Jones met district rival Austin High, who beat them in the District final. “We really played well in that match”, said Blair after drumming Austin High’s duo 6-1, 6-0. Then, the final opportunity pitted the Westlake seniors against a proven Churchill High School team. In a classic showdown, Jones and Berber emerged: 6-1, 1-6, 6-4, securing a trip to the State Championships.

Congratulations to Shane Berber, Blair Jones and Westlake High School. On May 5th and 6th, Blair and Shane will compete with the best 8 mixed doubles teams in the state at the 5A State Championships at Lakeway World of Tennis. Come help give ATA’s duo a home court advantage as they compete in their final Westlake High School tennis experience.

For Josh Hagar and Charlie Shin, the Houston Super Champ Major Zone was a first opportunity to see “the next level of tennis”, said Coach Newman, who went on to say that Josh and Charlie “competed well in their first experience against bigger, stronger players”. Charlie Shin won four main-draw matches, advancing to the semi-final round of his first 16s Super-Champ Major Zone. Charlie beat (5) seed Sujith Kochat 6-1, 6-3, advancing to the final four round. Josh Hagar won two main-draw rounds, showing what Coach John said was “good energy and attitude”, while beating ATA teammate Matthew Sparks in straight sets to advance to the quarter-final round of his first 16s Super-Champ Major Zone. Sparks made the second round by overwhelming Paul Zachry 6-2, 6-3.  Taylor Shamshiri defeated Shane Trebisky 6-2, 6-2 in the back-draw. Esteban Kaufmann played “fully committed tennis”, according to Coach John Schoenmakers. Este fought very hard, beating Ajit Kurki 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 in the first round main-draw.

Claire Cahill’s consistent main-draw Super Champ Major Zone results are positioning her to possibly compete on a national stage. Claire again won two main-draw matches, including a comeback win over (9) seed Jessica Ramsay 1-6, 7-5, 6-1. She was down 1-6, 1-4, before staging her comeback.  Coach Newman saw Claire “showing the ability to compete with the top tier of Texas 16 and under girls”.

In other girls’ 16s play, Hailey Posas played hard in two girls’ 16s matches, credited with a back-draw win over Ramsay. Zoe Kearl bounced back from a close first round loss to Meagan Harvey. Zoe beat Kelsey Richardson 6-2, 6-3 in the back-draw, “giving an incredible effort level to secure the win”, commented Head Coach Newman. In boys 18s, Jon Stockdale fought hard in a close loss to Celso Rojas: 5-7, 6-3, 6-2. Blair Jones picked up a win by beating Megan Ocanas 6-0, 6-2 in the first round back-draw win.

Congratulations to all of ATA’s competitors at the Houston Super Champ Major Zone. For ATA, the event was characterized by full effort and across the board competitive commitment. The ATA staff anticipates another strong showing at the May 9th-12th SCMZ in Dallas. Register now, the deadline for entry is April 22nd.

Jake Berber lost a tight first round boys 12s match to (9) Andrew Legg 6-3, 7-5. Jake came on strong to beat Triston Liu 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-2. Jake “fought relentlessly to win his second match”, said Coach Strecker. Conor O’Meara played hard in two matches, losing 6-4, 6-1 to Cole Lawson. In girls 12s, Maggie O’Meara won four back-draw matches, “bouncing back well from a disappointing first round match” said Coach Moros. “Maggie played well on Sunday”, beating Raven Bennett 6-1, 6-0 and earning finalist honors in the back-draw.

In girls 14s, Brooke Hughes lost her opening round to Kelli Hine 6-3, 6-2, Brooke won 3 back-draw matches, including a 4-6, 6-1, 6-0 tally over Jennifer Jackson on her way to the back-draw final. Coach Doug Davis commented that Brooke showed “excellent determination to play an event under physical duress, and stay focused through competitive matches”. Morgan Barnhill won a close match over Courtney Yeung 4-6, 6-3, 6-0. On the boys’ side, Austin Mayo beat Mario Sandoval 6-2, 6-4 in the 14s main-draw. Dennis Garcia outlasted Mayo in a second round 3 setter.

Congratulations to ATA’s competitors on a successful April Super Champ Major Zone in San Antonio. Next month, ATA will travel to the Houston SCMZ May 9th-12th. Register now, the deadline for entry is April 22nd.

Sreyas Mahadevan won three matches, earning his Champ qualification with a "gem of a match", according to Coach Notis. Sreyas out-shined Alexander Seibert 7-6(5), 6-7(4), 10-6, moving to Champ 12s with the semi-final win. Moving to Champ 14s, Daniel Howell earned the back-draw title in Waco, beating Evan Villarreal 6-2, 6-3 in the final round. "After a shaky start, Daniel handled the pressure of his qualifying match extremely well", commented Notis. Ryan Burak won two main-draw matches, cruising past Rhett Shroers 6-0, 6-2 to solidify his Champ 16s qualification. Coach Strecker was impressed with Ryan's "focus and effort," going on to say: "Ryan's Champ qualification is a reward for his commitment over the past months".

Garrett Callen lost his boys 16s first round 10-6 in the super-breaker. "Playing better every round", said Coach Notis, Garrett bounced back to win four back-draw matches and that title in his first 16s event, including a 6-0, 6-0 final round tally over Kerry Balden.

In girls 10s, Smrithi Mahadevan won three matches to claim the 10s title, beating Abigail Csengery 8-3 in the final. In girls 12s Meghan O'Malley beat ATA teammate Katherine Spencer in the second main-draw round. Jaxon Immler lost a tight first round match 7-6(5), 4-6, 10-7 then won his first round back-draw contest, "continuing to gain a wealth of experience in every tournament", said Coach Notis.

Jessica Clouse beat Lauren Clark 6-0, 6-0 in the first round of girls' 14s. Smrithi Hariharan beat Casey Harrison 6-2, 6-3 then fell in straights to finalist Abigail White. After narrowly losing his opening round 10-5 in the super-breaker, James Seward won a back-draw match 2-6, 6-4, 10-5 over Talbot Wyckoff. For Seward, "coming from behind is due in large part to a willingness to show positive emotion on the court", said Coach Strecker. James fist-pumped during a second set rally against Wyckoff.

Congratulations to all of ATA's players in the Waco ZAT. Coach Strecker summed up the event: "the Waco ZAT was very positive, these young players showed hard fighting and belief". The Austin Tennis Academy will compete in the Georgetown ZAT May 10th-11th. Register now, the deadline for entry is April 29th.

Sydney Young won five girls 14s matches over the weekend. Coach Kendall Brooks saw Sydney “was on a mission to qualify for Super-Champs.” Mission accomplished. In her closest contest, ‘Syd The Kid’ beat draw favorite Lindsay Wilkerson 2-6, 6-1, 6-4 to advance to the final round. In her qualifying match, Sydney cemented her Super qualification, dominating Paige Murdock 6-2, 6-0. Young moved from ZATs to Champs and Champs to Supers in just two tournaments. 

In her first Champ level tournament Savannah Brilliant defeated Rosie Olwell 6-2, 6-2 in the back-draw. Carli Knezevich played Maria Batchinsky close, losing 7-5, 6-4. Allie Burak won two main-draw matches, beating Marie Lutz 6-3, 6-1 to advance to the quarter-final round. Allie lost to Super-Champ qualifier Ally Gamble. Allie Carlisle beat Brianna Fellows 7-6(4), 7-5 in what Coach Kendall Brooks described as a “good, hard-fought win for Allie”.

Rohan Makhija showed what Coach Collins described as “relentless grit and an improving ability to attack with the forehand”, outclassing Krishna Jana and advancing to the final main-draw round of boys 12s with 3 wins. Breck Spencer turned in two main-draw wins, beating consistent baseliner Alex Ju 6-3, 6-2. In a quarter-final loss to Samuel Gao, Breck won the first set before Gao rallied. Breck “forced his opponent [Gao] to win the match, Breck gave himself a chance”, said Coach Collins.  In other boys 12s action, Zane Ritter won his first round convincingly and forced draw favorite Krishna Jana to a third set. Zane “hit strong and heavy forehands through out both matches”, said Coach Martinez, falling in a close third set 6-4 to Jana. Dylan Ritter picked up two back-draw wins, while Payton Holden gave a strong effort in two matches.

In Boys 14s, several players won multiple main-draw matches. Greyson Brilliant and Austin Doyle showed “fierce determination”, said Coach Martinez, each winning two main-draw matches. Greyson “served very well in two hard-fought wins”, Coach Collins adding that: “Grey’s intelligent point design combined with explosive attacking shots were central to his second round win,” a 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 tally over Thad Legg. For Doyle, an increased willingness to stay in rallies brought him two close main-draw wins, and nearly a third. In a high level quarter-final contest, Doyle brought a better level of mental toughness, forcing consistent counter-puncher Bennett Holder to make many passing shots as Austin effectively set up points and finished at the net. Holder advanced 6-4 in the third set.  Pierce Kelley competed with improving focus in two matches.

Colton Malesovas lost his first round 16s match 7-5, 6-4, bouncing back with tenacity to win four back-draw matches and that title. In a close semi-final match with hard hitting Hunter Voyles, ‘Colt’ varied topspin and flatter forehands and attacked Voyles’ second serve to the tune of a 6-0 third set.  In boys 18s, Daniel Wang “tried to execute a consistency focused game plan”, according to Coach Loren Collins; Wang won the middle frame of a 6-1, 2-6, 6-2 loss to back-draw champ Michael Martin.

Congratulations to ATA’s players on tournament progress shown at the SATA CMZ. The Austin Tennis Academy staff is very encouraged by the collective success at the tournament. One more ATA player is now Champ-qualified as Neel Kumar won the Fort Stockton ZAT. Next month, ATA will travel to the Kerrville Champ Major Zone. Register now, the deadline for entry is April, 18th.

Coached by former ATP Tour player Paul Settles, the Claremont team ranks among the best in NCAA Division III, boasting three top 20 nationally ranked players and former ATA standout Ryan Berber. The ATA-All Star squad melded an able crew of youth and accomplished experience, among them former Claremont National Champions Jack Newman and Bill Konya (NCAA Division III National Champions 1982-1983), and top current Texas Section players including Jeff Offerdahl and Mary Bain.

In a 15 match dual, the All-Stars started fast, wresting 4 of 5 doubles matches from the Stags. Claremont clawed back, capturing close singles wins at #3, #5 and #6, closing on the All-Stars’ lead. Claremont seized the dual with wins at #8, #9, and #10, where Coach Settles took down incoming St. Edwards University prospect Mary Bain, and former All-America Team member William Ellison knocked off super-champ 16s Matt Sparks. Overall, the dual was an 8 to 7 nail-biting win for the Stags.

Congratulations to the ATA players and family for their efforts in the ATA All-Stars vs. Claremont dual match. The match provided a great opportunity for our future collegiate players to experience the unique pressures, rigors, triumphs and joys of a college style dual match.

In girls 10s, Katherine Spencer won three pro-set matches to win the tournament, beating Bailey Voss 8-3 in the final. Alexandra Young after losing the match tie-breaker in the first round to Bailey Voss 9-8(5), Ali bounced back to win the back-draw.

Girls 12s featured Meghan O’Malley beating Olivia Longoria 6-2, 6-2 to advance to the final back-draw round. In the final round, Meghan played Sarah Burrows very close, losing a 10-7 decision in the third set tie-breaker. Remi Immler and Aarti Bhat both advanced to the final round of girls 12s, playing two close sets in the final, Bhat taking the 12s title. Carli Knezevich won two main-draw rounds in the girls 12s qualified draw, beating Tamijean Fumagalli 6-3, 6-2 to advance to the semi-finals. Allie Burak made the finals, coming from behind to out-play Anna Bright 5-7, 6-3, 6-3 in the quarter-final round. In the final, Burak lost to Victoria Yu 6-4, 6-1. Savannah Brilliant lost two matches, falling narrowly to Jessica Vieira 7-5, 6-3. On the boys 12s side, Sanjit Kumar played four tie-breakers on Saturday, winning three. In the quarters, Sanjit edged Angel Palacios 7-6(3), 6-7(4), 7-6(1). Sanjit then upended Thomas Guerrero in a routinely close 7-6(7), 7-5 tie, earning finalist honors.

In the qualified 12s division, the picture of poise Jake Berber won every set he played, beating ATA teammate Conor O’Meara 6-3, 6-1 in the final. Conor advanced to the final by upending hard-hitting Josh Minor 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 in the semi-final round. Dylan Ritter advanced to the quarter-final round, falling close to Tristan Wise 7-6(4), 6-3. Payton Holden won a back-draw match to make the back-draw semi-finals. He forced Luke Lawson to a third set super-breaker, with Lawson emerging 13-11. Breck Spencer vanquished Joey Vatanadilok 7-5, 6-0 before falling to finalist O’Meara. Zane Ritter ran through the back-draw without dropping a set, dismissing Luke Lawson 6-1, 6-1 to claim the back-draw title.

Smrithi Hariharan won a three set match, beating Caitlin Burton 6-2, 0-6, 6-1 to make the girls 14s semi-final round. Jessica Clouse dominated her first round opponent and forced her semi-final opponent to play her best. Katelyn Whelan narrowly beat Clouse 7-5, 5-7, 6-4. Allie Carlisle played hard in two matches. Sydney Young rebounded from an early round loss, winning the back-draw without dropping a set. Maggie O’Meara won her first round, beating Monica Kestermann 6-0, 6-1 before falling close to Lillian Robinson 5-7, 6-1, 6-1. In boys 14s, Neel Kumar survived a first round charge from back-draw champion Nick Sargologos, then rolled through the draw, beating Karan Bindra 6-4, 6-1 in the final.

In boys 14s, Jaxon Immler won his first round 6-3, 6-1 over Rob Fuller while Austin Doyle won a great first round match over Ricardo Longoria 6-4, 5-7, 6-2. Garret Callen and Pierce Kelley each played hard in two matches. Eliot Blatt won the back-draw, beating Jacob Belanger 6-3 6-2 in the final. Eliot impressively won 3 matches over the weekend, employing an all-court style and improving competitive energy.

Hailey Posas won three matches, advancing to the final round of Girls 16s. Hailey fell to Amy Belanger 6-2, 3-6, 6-1. Claire Cahill beat Lisa Dennis in straight sets 6-1, 6-4 to advance to the semi-final round. Kate Cahill lost a close three-set match to Morgan Pilgrim 6-4, 4-6, 10-8.

Ryan Burak won three matches, beat Daniel Groenow 6-2, 6-1 to advance to a boys 16s final round match with Robbie McGowan. While McGowan emerged 6-0, 3-6, 6-4, Ryan competed well and stayed mentally focused after losing the first set. James Seward beat Andrew Williams 6-3, 6-1 and forced draw champion Robbie McGowan to three sets.

The Austin Tennis Academy staff is encouraged by the effort, focus and results of the ATA Spring Spenco Open. Congratulations to all 28 ATA players who competed. We look forward to more great focus and effort in next month’s sectional tournaments. Register now on the ATA Homepage or the USTA Texas Section website.

In boys 16s, Taylor Shamshiri won three main-draw matches, breaking through to the quarter-final round over Robin Chou 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-2. Shamshiri’s wins show his recent progress in competitive play, positioning him well for a summer surge. Matthew Sparks won two main-draw rounds, beating Sean Liu in 3 sets, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, advancing to quarter-final round action. Sparks forced Baxter Rodman to three sets, with Rodman advancing 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-1. For Sparks, Austin SCMZ was a “good tournament, [Matthew] competed with his best level of energy in tournament play”, said Coach John Schoenmakers. Also in 16s, Este Kaufmann played two matches, playing Zachary Zwerner 4-6, 7-5, 6-1. Traveling with ATA, Chase Curry won the boys 16s draw, beating (5) seed Matt Ford 6-4, 6-0 in the final.

Claire Cahill came away with two hard fought wins, coming from behind to beat higher ranked Felicity Delgado 1-6, 6-4, 6-2. In her final match, Claire made Madison Hudson play her best, 6-2, 5-7, 7-6(5). Though she lost her final match, Coach Moros saw “Claire compete hard, making great strides in consistency and competitiveness”. Despite losing both her matches, Hailey Posas pushed her opponents in both matches. In her first round, Hailey fell 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 to Julia Dang. After what Coach Moros described as a “disappointing first round match”, Kate Cahill won three back-draw matches, beating Jayme Kravitz 6-4, 6-2 in the quarter-final back-draw round. Coach Cristina went on to say “Kate played quality tennis in her back-draw match wins”.

In boys 18s, 15 year old Jeffrey Offerdahl beat Zack Johnson 6-0, 6-0 before falling to Eddie Konrad 7-5, 6-1. Jon Stockdale competed hard in two matches.

The Austin Tennis Academy will build on the successful Austin Super Champ Major Zone results next month at the Houston SCMZ April 18th-21st. Register now, the deadline for entry is March 30th.

In a doubles draw won by perennial Wimbledon competitor Christo Van Rensburg, Notis and Strecker advanced to the semi-final round, overcoming fellow Texans Greg Gormley and Jason Peters in a close battle: 7-6(0), 4-6, 7-5. Though he did not feel the team played their highest level, Coach Strecker commented that “Brian and I competed very well in the quarter-final round and pulled the match out at the end”. For their high level effort, Notis and Strecker each earned a USTA bronze ball, signifying a third place finish at a USTA national surface tournament. 

In mixed doubles, Coach Notis teamed with Patricia Zerdan to win the USTA National 30s Hardcourts. In the final round, Notis and Zerdan defeated Dickson Tennessee’s Todd Smith and his partner, Morrissville Pennsylvania’s Shareen Lai 6-3, 6-3. Coach Notis commented that he and Zerdan played “the big points very big,” adding that, “the match could easily have been much closer on the score cards, we just played very well to close out games.”

For Coach Strecker, the USTA Nationals 30s Hardcourts is the first of what promises to be many more successful USTA surface tournaments, while Coach Notis adds more precious metal hardware to an already brimming collection. As spring turns to summer, the Austin Tennis Academy players and coaches look forward to the ITA Summer Series, where players and coaches will compete together. 

In the boys 12s, eleven-year old Conor O’Meara lost to Christian Duarte 6-4, 6-2 in the main-draw. In girls 12s, Maggie O’Meara won two matches, beating Ashley Stallard 6-1, 6-4 to. Coach Brooks commented that Maggie “played great tennis, competed well to earn her way,” to the quarter-final round.

In boys 14s, Liam Woolley-MacMath won three back-draw matches, finishing two sets well to upend Sean Manning 6-3, 7-5 in the back-draw semi-final round. Josh Hagar cruised through two main-draw rounds before losing a close contest to Christian Viera 3-6, 7-5, 6-3. Eliot Blatt fought hard in two matches. Blatt and Mayo played well in doubles, winning two matches, advancing to the quarter-final round with an 8-6 count over Fellows and Galon.

In the same draw, Charlie Shin dominated three opponents, beating Jared Fellows 6-1, 6-2 to make the quarter-final round. Austin Mayo rebounded from a three set first round loss to Sam Laudon. Over the course of his next four matches, Austin displayed what Coach Newman described as “his highest level of competitiveness, fighting well against bigger, stronger players”. Coach Brooks also commented on Austin’s performance, stating: “Austin showed a willingness to battle and come from behind, to do whatever it took to win."

Austin Tennis Academy is encouraged by the competitive progress shown in Corpus Christi. Next month, ATA will seek more strong results at the San Antonio SCMZ April 18th-21st. Register now, the deadline for entry is March 30th.

According to Bob Rose, Chief meteorologist with the Lower Colorado River Authority, “the current drought more than likely will worsen as we go into spring and certainly into summer.” Rose continued, ”Early models indicate that the summer will be so dry that the current moderate drought will slip into more serious categories,” Rose said.    Austin American Statesman, Sunday March 9, 2008.

Take advantage of this summer’s Texas’ tennis weather. The Austin Tennis Academy will hold eleven weeks of the highest level coaching and competitive training available anywhere. Spots are limited, register now.