Who's Hot?
Hot 100 List - February '17
by Amelia Thomas, 20 February 2017
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The beginning of a new year comes with New Year's resolutions. Players around the country have resolutions to amp up their games. We caught up with a few players who are making those dreams a reality - in the February edition of the Hot 100.
The Hot 100 lists are published each month, and the February Hot 100 lists feature the one hundred boys and girls who most improved their rankings during the month of January. You can find out more about the Hot 100 - and how the lists are calculated - by reading here.
The latest lists, published earlier today, are available here:
Let's take a look at some of these top performers...
Roundup
Ashley Griffith (Wayne, Penn.)
Three-star sophomore Ashley Griffith has been battling her way back up in the rankings since taking some time off of tennis back in 2014. She injured her foot and had to set down her racket while she recovered.
"I've been working hard to come back and play at a high level again and also reach my full potential," she said. "I didn't realize how much I missed tennis until I started competing again."
Last month, Griffith played in two tournaments. She reached the consolation quarterfinals of a sectional tournament, and she won the title at the Gulph Mills JKST Open. She earned a 7-1 record for the month of January.
Griffith credits her coaches for much of her success since her return to the sport. She works with Charles Wheeler and Dylan Comerford of the High Performance Tennis Academy in Bala Cynwyd, Penn.
"The coaches and the program have been great for my return to tennis. The coaches push and inspire me to do my best every day, and I am constantly playing with great players at the Academy," she said.
Griffith and her coaches have specifically been working on her backhand technique. "I am working to get more power and depth on the backhand side," she said. "I have also been working hard with my coaches to be more aggressive and to move forward into the court."
The Wayne, Penn., native has also seen her competitors grow since her return to tennis. "I'm so happy to be able to play at the competitive level," she said. "I have enjoyed every tournament that I have played since returning to the game. Everyone that I used to play competitively has greatly improved, and I'm working very hard to improve as well."
While tennis is a gift of Griffith's, she also has several other passions. "When I'm not playing tennis, I'm either doing homework, singing or cycling," she said. "My dad and I love to cycle long distances. We love to ride from Valley Forge National Park to downtown Philadelphia to run the Rocky stairs."