I just wanted to let you know that Marcus is playing in 2008 Montana State Junior Open this weekend. I will post the draws below, but I think this will be a really neat weekend as for the first time ever he is seeded #1 in a tourney (10s Singles). When he saw that he thought he would win it as he was seeded #1....I had to break it to him that it will still be tough. He has a bye in the first round as he is seeded #1, so hopefully he will do well....if he does not win it all now I think he will cry. He is the second youngest in the draw, there is another kid two months younger, so I have told him to just go out, try his best and have fun. He will play a kid he has never played before that we don't know, so you never know how that will go.
He is also playing in doubles with Jory again. Jory is a great kid and I am pleased they have avoided each other in both 10s and 12s singles. The doubles is round robin, I think they will do well.
In addition he is also playing in 12s singles. He has a good draw which I am pleased as his ranking dropped this month, he is now only 17th in the State in 12s & under.
This is the biggest tournament in the State of Montana. There are some 154 kids signed up for the different age groups.
Anyway....so you can keep up I am posting the draws down below. I know they are great about updating the scores at this tourney (much quicker than at LTA tourneys). The singles have consolation draws, so if he loses up to the quarters he will be placed in that. I think he will have about seven matches over the weekend.
Oh...here he is hitting the match winning shot in a mixed doubles match....he served, his partner hit a volley and then Marcus hit a beautiful volley to win the match....sorry about the poor quality:
Thanks for the best wishes all.....He came through his doubles match 8-1....kinda strange as the score was already online by the time we arrived at home. Marcus really played well this morning.
Indiana you are scaring me as the kid Marcus will play in 10s singles is really good. He is the son of the Head Tennis Coach at the University of Montana. His strokes are beautiful, everything hit with great top spin. He is ten, so a little older, but does not hit the ball as hard as Marcus and his serve is nothing special. I think Marcus will win and get into the final, but not the walk in the park we were expecting.
He just has his 12s singles match this evening at 5:30pm. He swam for three hours today....the kid is nuts....I had to ask him to come on in and watch TV for a couple of hours.....
Here we go, this is the thread you really want for this week's comp!
As far as I can see, he has:
- reached the QFs of the 12s, where he is due to play the top seed
- reached the Final of the 10s, where he IS the top seed, nevertheless he should be happy about that
- in the 10s doubles, he seems to have won two matches but I can't work out how the draw works!
Steven....you stole my thunder.....he was well beaten in the QFs of 12s by the top seed.....he was on court for over two hours in his 10s SF which he won 6-4, 6-2....that match was great, but afterwards he only had half an hour to eat and went down 6-0, 6-0 to a much better (three years older too) player. He then went on court at 7:30pm and played a consolation match against a good player who he beat in a pro-set. We had rain and so the match was moved in doors and shortened. He will play another consolation match on Sunday against a really good player too.
In the 10s he has played really well. I was so proud of him, that was some test. In the final he plays a fellow Bozeman kid who is five months older. These two kids have played many times in practice, but when they play in tourneys Marcus has beaten him both times. However, Olin is not as good as Marcus, but always seems to raise his game and gives Marcus problems....I really hope he wins.....
In the 10s Doubles there was only three teams that entered and so it is round robin which means....Marcus and his partner have already won it (although, they don't have their trophies yet).
This has been an amazing tourney....so far.....six matches in two days with five wins! If he wins the 10s Singles I will be over the moon. This is Montana's biggest tournament in our hometown, Marcus has always wanted to win this and I just hope that he does not get stressed etc. If he plays the final like he played his consolation match tonight he will win easily....or like he played the semi final....but Marcus and Olin hit for a set just over a week ago with Olin winning it.....we shall see.....
Oh, Marcus' 10s semi started exactly the same time as Andy's semi which was on the big screen in the lounge....I had to pop in there a couple of times and it was great that both semis went the way I hoped for them to go...although Marcus' match was longer!