14s Adv Team Tennis Nationals

The 14s Advanced RCC team competed at the Junior Team Tennis National Championships last weekend in Columbia, South Carolina.  The team coached by Ken Berlin received a wildcard and included Arya Dudipala, Neha Dudipala, Erin Zhao, Alex Heiden Kai Britz and Osuke Fujita.  The team was in the toughest flight of the tournament with Eastern finishing 2nd, and Texas and Mid-Atlantic both winning their playoff flights.

RCC fell to Eastern in the 1st match.  Osuke Fujita and Alex Heiden won in Boys Doubles against a very strong team.  In the 2nd match against perennial power Austin Tennis Academy, Arya Dudipala and Neha Dudipala won in Girls Doubles.  Mixed doubles went to a match breaker with Alex Heiden and Erin Zhao.  RCC lost their 3rd match to Mid-Atlantic, but won 3 of the 5 courts sweeping the doubles.  Osuke and Alex won in boys doubles.  Girls Doubles (Dudipala Sisters) and Mixed Doubles  (Erin Zhao / Alex Heiden) won in 3rd sets.  

RCC finished strong by winning both their playoff matches for a 13th place finish.  They defeated Middle States by sweeping the doubles again with Heiden / Britz, Dudipala / Dudipala, and Heiden Zhao.  Erin Zhao also won at Girls Singles.

In their final playoff match, RCC defeated another Midwest team.  They defeated Catching Fire 50-35.  At the Midwest championships RCC only defeated this team 36-28.  Arya and Neha won their 3rd doubles match.  Fujita and Heiden won at boys doubles and Zhao and Heiden won in Mixed Doubles.  

Rcc finished the tournament with very strong doubles play, and was 5-1 in 3rd set tiebreaks.