Special from
The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press
| Share: |  |
|  | |
|
|
Keshav Muthuvel has played mostly on hard courts in his native California, but he adjusted in masterful fashion to win the Boys' 16 USTA National Clay Court Championships' singles title.
Keshav Kuthuvel won the singles title
"I think I adapted pretty well to the surface," he said, and the results make it seem like an understatement.
Muthuvel, a 5-Star rising junior from Pleasanton didn't lose a set in his seven matches at the Delray Beach Tennis Center in southeastern Florida. Seeded third, he completed his surge with a 6-2, 6-2 victory July 13 over No. 4 seed Mason Vaughan of Austin, Texas.
"It was a big change from California to Florida, but I felt more comfortable toward the end of the tournament," he said. "My groundstrokes held up pretty well the whole tournament, being able to play consistently throughout. ...
"I like to be using the serve and placing the next ball and getting ahead of the point. I'm more of a guy who likes to play long rallies and use my chances."
His maturity helped him survive a rocky opening match against Advay Singh of Frisco, Texas, which Muthuvel won 7-5, 6-3.
"I was down two set points but told myself mentally to just keep fighting for every point, giving it my all."
In a trend-defying pattern, Muthuvel won each match in more lopsided fashion than the last until he encountered Cristobal Plasencia Robles of Boca Raton, Florida, one of the No. 17 seeds, in a semifinal. That 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (8-6) triumph, in which he erased a 5-3 first-set deficit, was Muthuvel's most harrowing of the week.
"I told myself to just sustain mentally and keep giving my best. Every point's important."
Singles runner-up and doubles champ Mason Vaughan
In the championship match, Muthuvel said he was "definitely nervous since it was my first L1 final. After the first few points, I knew that if I focused ... I'd be able to make the best of that opportunity."
In school, "it's my first year doing Laurel Springs" online. "It's given me more flexibility to travel and balance tennis and academics pretty well."
Muthuvel works with coaches Max Taylor of Mission Hills Racquet and Swim Club and Kevin Pope. Plus, Eagle Fustar Tennis Academy in Santa Clara has "helped me build my physicality on court and with being more intense every point."
Muthuvel's Tennis Recruiting Network ranking of 36 among rising 11th-graders should climb after what he called his most significant tournament title.
'Great week' for Vaughan
Vaughan, from Brookhaven Tennis Academy, is ranked No. 1 nationally among rising ninth-graders. He was trying to duplicate the feat he achieved in the 14 Clay championships last year, taking the singles title and the doubles crown (with Dylan Meineke of Frisco).
Vaughan won a trio of three-set singles matches to take his spot in the title clash. He said he twice used intravenous fluids and cryotherapy to help recover.
Vaughan said, "Great week! I had three grueling matches coming into the finals, with each one over four hours and having to rebound for doubles after every day. I tried my best to recover after every match, but eventually (it) took its toll in the finals."
Speaking of doubles: Vaughan and Griffin Goode of Raleigh, North Carolina, took gold balls, with the sixth seeds upending No. 2 Ryan Corcoran of Cary, North Carolina, and Kahven Singh of Bethesda, Maryland, 6-2, 6-3 shortly after the singles final.
Doubles champions Goode and Vaughan
In the quarterfinals, Goode and Vaughan ousted top-seeded Rafael Lopez of Charlotte, North Carolina and Luke Smith of Daniel Island, South Carolina, 6-2, 7-6 (7-3). Then they edged No. 3 Soren Swenson of St. Paul, Minnesota, and Anish Poojari of Stilwell, Kansas, 1-6, 7-6 (7-0), 6-4 in a semifinal.
"My partner and I had never played before, but somehow found a way in some tough matches, saving match points in the semifinals," Vaughan said. "I definitely had the most court time by far in the tournament."
Gaining bronze
No. 14 seed Joseph Lee of Cary overcame Robles 0-6, 6-1, 6-4 in the third-place match.
Jorniak takes consolation title
Co-No. 17 seed Peter Jorniak surged through the draw until falling 6-0, 6-1 to Muthuvel in a quarterfinal. But Jorniak, from Arcadia, California, didn't stay down for long, going 3-0 in the back draw to snag fifth place.
He knocked off No. 10 Ryan Bedwick of Wesley Chapel, Florida, 6-2, 6-4 for the consolation bracket championship.
Baron runs show
Ivan Baron, a former top-ranked American junior and a tour pro in the early 1990s, continued his longtime stint as the tournament director.
Next Up - Girls 16s
Check back this afternoon for our wrap of the Girls 16s from Huntsville, Alabama - as TRN continues with our exclusive coverage of Clay Court Championship Week.
Leave a Comment
More Tournament Features
23-Jul-2025
Pohankova, Ivanov Ease Past Americans for Wimbledon Titles
Slovakia's Mia Pohankova and Bulgaria's Ivan Ivanov weren't fazed by the unpredictable English weather at the The Wimbledon Junior Championships, with both beating American opponents on legendary Court One to capture the singles titles.
18-Jul-2025
Weng Completes Collection with Gold Ball in 18s Singles
Nicole Weng was making progressive steps to capturing the first gold ball of her career. The Southern California resident broke through at the USTA Girls 18 National Clay Court Championships in South Carolina, outlasting Janae Preston in three sets in the final.
18-Jul-2025
Antonius Makes Triumphant Return to USTA Nationals
Michael Antonius excelled in his return to USTA national tournament play, capturing the USTA Boys 18 National Clay Court Championships singles titles in Delray Beach, Florida. The 15-year-old Buffalo native dropped only 20 total games during his run to the gold ball.
About Sonny Dearth
Sonny Dearth is a writer and copy editor, primarily for the sports
section, at the Daily Press newspaper and
dailypress.com Web site in
Newport News, Va.
Dearth has more than 40 years of experience in tennis. He is a
former state high school champion who has served as a volunteer
assistant coach in Virginia, where he started for four years at
James Madison University
in the late 1980s. He has competed in a few USTA national junior and
adult events.
