Special from
The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press
| Share: |  |
|  | |
|
|
Many players are eager to look at the draw when it comes out before a tournament. Olivia De Los Reyes is not among them.
de Los Reyes won the singles title
She might not mind looking at the completed bracket of the Girls' 16 USTA National Clay Court Championships, though.
Though unseeded, the Scarsdale, New York, resident was mostly dominant for eight matches at an event based at Athletic Club Alabama in Huntsville and run again by tournament director Eddie Jacques. She capped her run July 13 with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over second-seeded Sylvana Jalbert of Mount Airy, Maryland.
Don't call it an upset, since De Los Reyes had beaten Jalbert 6-3, 6-1 last September in Virginia Beach.
"I wasn't really worried about the results and was more worried about the preparation and things I could control," said De Los Reyes, who entered the tournament ranked 19th nationally among rising ninth-graders. She considers this her most notable championship.
"I'd drink a lot of electrolytes the night before, and my routine helped me throughout the whole thing.
"On the court, I was only worried about the amount of effort and attitude I put in. If I do that and I still lose, it's a good loss because I put everything into it and the other girl just played better than I did."
That didn't happen in Huntsville. Her most difficult match came in the quarterfinals, a 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 triumph over Rose Biria of Overland Park, Kansas, one of the 17th seeds.
