By Carlos Micames
This past week, the tennis courts of the University of Puerto Rico in Mayagüez hosted Copa Sultana, an ITF tournament for aspiring juniors working their way toward a prestigious career as tennis professionals. Players from countries all over the world are participating in the tournament, from South America and Europe to Asia. Many Puerto Ricans, such as Ignacio “Nachi” Garcia (seeded 6th) and Rafael Grovas (seeded 11th), are representing as local favorites, winning their respective first rounds. The women’s side includes even more Puerto Ricans such as Lauren Anzalotta-Kynoch, Andrea Roque and Vannelie Melendez, all battling it out for the title.
ITF tournaments present enormous opportunities for players to get recognized by academies and to enhance their skills. As Hector Neftalí Irizarry, tournament director and former member of the UPRM Varsity Championship winning tennis team in 2012, said, “these types of tournaments allow players to compete against players who are better than what they’re accustomed to and to see how others train. It helps improve competition on the island and motivates people to play the game.”
Coaches from respected tennis academies in Florida, such as Saddlebrook (training ground for Zverev Brothers, Bryan Brothers, John Isner, Jack Sock and previous world number 1’s Andy Roddick, Pete Sampras and Jim Courier) and IMG academy (training ground for Kei Nishikori, Tommy Haas and 10 previous world number 1’s, including Andre Agassi, Maria Sharapova and Marcelo Rios), and other continents have also admitted that they use these types of tournaments to attract talented juniors to their academies and prepare them for a future in the professional stage.
Ignacio “Nachi” Garcia is a skilled counterpuncher, consistently keeping the ball in play with topspin and waiting for his opponent to miss. He attacks the net occasionally so as to change up his game and surprise the other player. Rafael Grovas is also a counterpuncher, feeding off the other player’s pace. His game can come off as extremely relaxed, almost effortless, even as he successfully draws errors from the other’s racket. Representing Puerto Rico in this tournament as the 6th and 11th seeds respectively, these two players are great to watch throughout this tournament as they test their skills against some of the best juniors from around the globe.
However, the number one seed, Juan Ignacio Batalla from Mexico, is the favorite to win this tournament. A lefty, his slice serve is deadly at moving opponents out of the court from the first swing. His forehand is consistent and loaded with topspin, keeping his opponents on the defensive constantly and proving to be a difficult shot to attack. He is also willing to finish rallies at the net with crisp volleys, which keeps his opponent guessing. With an extremely versatile set of moves at his disposal, Batalla is an interesting player to watch.
Another player who could go far in this tournament is the second seed, Agustin Riquelme from Argentina. This March 21, Riquelme faced off against Hien Quang Hien from Australia. The Argentine clinched the match 7-6 (8-6) in the third set in a show of unbelievable stamina and grit. This match was noticeably punishing in the grueling Puerto Rican heat as both players took their time to serve and used any break to go to the towel and breathe between points. The final set tiebreaker was ultimately decided by some impressive down-the-line backhands from Riquelme during crucial moments, clutch serving with a steady forehand. The most impressive factor, however, was the mental strength evidenced by both players. Neither one gave away any free points as they battled to the end and fought through their nerves. Needless to say, the Argentine’s game is solid and resilient, making him another South American to observe this tournament.