Boys State Tennis: Marian Catholic’s Childers remains in hunt for title
By Tim O’Brien For Sun-Times Media May 24, 2012 10:42PM
Updated: July 3, 2012 9:37AM
Battling heavy winds and warm temperatures, Marian Catholic’s Julian Childers just wanted to get through the first day of the Boys State Tennis Tournament.
The senior won all three of his matches Thursday, advancing to Friday’s round of 16.
“I felt like I played pretty good despite it being super windy,” Childers said. “It’s hard to play in conditions like that, but you have to grind through it.”
Childers earned a 3-4 seed after winning his third straight sectional title last weekend. All three of his wins Thursday came in two sets, including a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Lyons’ Alex Ross in the third round.
“When it’s windy like that, you don’t have much of a game,” Childers said. “You have to wait for your opportunities, and I feel confident going out there and waiting for my chances.”
Childers will continue his bid for a state title Friday against Downers Grove South’s Joey Leto, a 9-16 seed, in a fourth-round match.
Childers was the only local athlete in singles or doubles to advance in the championship bracket Thursday.
Marian Catholic’s ranked doubles team of Mitch Zavesky and Kyle Scheffers won two matches before falling in the third round.
Seeded 17-32, the Spartans’ duo lost to Highland Park’s Zacko Brint and Danny Wynbrandt 6-2, 6-4 in the third round. The Highland Park pair is the No. 2 doubles seed in the tournament.
“(Mitch and Kyle) had some good games and played well,” Marian coach Scott Bodnar said. “They just couldn’t get over some mistakes.”
The Southland’s other seeded representatives, Sandburg’s Eric Pontow and Homewood-Flossmoor’s Brad Holt, each won two matches before falling in the third round.
Pontow lost 6-1, 6-0 to Stevenson’s Jeremy Bush, while Holt fell 6-1, 7-5 to Hinsdale Central’s Martin Joyce. Both players move to the consolation bracket.
