Jan. 2—MITCHELL — Mitchell High School freshman tennis player Clay Bathke arrived in the desert with a racquet and quiet confidence, and he left Arizona State with a singles title.
Bathke had a strong performance at the Casteel Holiday Tournament, a United States Tennis Association Level 6 event held Dec. 27 at Casteel High School in Queen Creek, Arizona. Competing against juniors 14 and under from across the state, Bathke won all three of her singles matches to capture her pod title.
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“I just realize what the strengths and weaknesses of my opponents were,” Bathke said of how his mindset remained the same in every match. “Once I realized what their weaknesses were, I was able to take advantage of them.”
Bathke opened the tournament with a 4-2, 5-3 victory over Dylan Richardson of Gilbert, Ariz., setting the tone in his singles group. He followed that up with a 5-3, 4-0 win over Alexander Ko of Chandler, Ariz., tightening up his game as the day went on. In his final match, Bathke closed out the group in convincing fashion by defeating Thomas Leonard of Gilbert, Ariz., 4-1, 4-0.
For the Kernel freshman, the tournament was about more than just the results. Playing away against unfamiliar opponents in Arizona gave Bathke the opportunity to test himself in a competitive environment.
“It was a challenge going against these guys because I didn’t really know their skills or how they like to play, but it was a great experience,” Bathke said. “I felt like it helped me because it was different people that I had never faced before, and I didn’t know what to expect at first.”
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As Bathke continues to balance high school competition with USTA events, he views tournaments like the Arizona events as valuable building blocks in his young career.
“I realized that I was a lot better than I actually thought and that I could compete with a lot of different people,” Bathke said. “My coaches and my teammates think I’m going to reach great heights. They see the potential I have and they think over the next four years we’re going to be a really good team (at Mitchell).”
