Clay Court Championship Week
Zane Wins Battle of the Khans in the 12s
by James Hill, 22 July 2014
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It has become common for twins and siblings to win doubles championships in the tennis universe. Bob and Mike Bryan, "mirror twins," are a case in point.
But rarely do twins face each other in a singles championship match.
That was the case on July 19 as
Zane and
Faris Khan battled each other for the USTA Boys 12 Clay Courts gold ball. The winner was fifth seeded-Zane Khan, who defeated the No. 11 Faris Khan 1-6, 6-0, 6-0 at the
Randy Pate Tennis Academy at Hanes Park.
Entering the championships, Zane held an Athletic DNA Class Ranking of No. 6, and an RPI of No. 2. Faris was ranked 12th on the same list and sported a RPI of No. 9. The brothers have been living in New Braunfels, Texas, and had previously attended the John Newcombe Tennis Academy. Zane and Khan will move to Boca Raton, Fla., to become participants in the USTA National Training Center.
"It's not easy to play my brother, but I am proud of him," Zane said after the match. "He beat two really good players to get to the finals. We know each other's shots pretty well. It was all a mental battle against my brother. I didn't play that well in the tournament, but I competed. My forehand was on, and my backhand was pretty solid."
In the semifinals, Zane beat eighth-seeded Nicholas Garcia of Hollywood, Fla., 6-4, 6-1. Faris was a 6-1, 6-4 winner over the No. 2 Aidan Mayo of Roseville, Calif. In the Round of 16, Faris took out sixth-seeded Stefan Dostanic of Irvine, Calif., 7-6, 6-3. He then beat No. 10 Justin Boulais of Marietta, Ga., 6-4, 6-1 in the quarters.
Although they have tangled many times before, this marked the first time the siblings met in a national final. Zane went undefeated at the round-robin USTA National Spring Team Championships, including a win over his brother, in March at Mobile, Ala. Faris won the Silver Division at 2013 USTA Boys Nationals at Little Rock, Ark., with a walkover victory over Zane along the way.
"I would rather play Zane than anyone else," Faris said. "I know him well. During the tournament, I kept on trying until each match was over."
