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Wednesday, May 27, 2009 10:40 AM CDT
Trojans' tennis duo primed for state meet competition
By SCOTT RICHEY, Staff Writer
CHARLESTON -- The inexperience showed last year when Charleston tennis doubles partners Adam Drake and Quinn Hussey fell one game short of advancing to the state meet.
Charleston coach Ryan Shick said both Drake and Hussey were a little nervous playing in last year’s sectional meet as sophomores and first-year playing partners, but he said both players have come a long way in improving their mental game.
That increased focus led to two wins in this year’s sectional meet and the duos first trip to the state meet to be held Thursday through Saturday in several Chicago suburbs. Drake and Hussey are scheduled to play Deerfield’s Kevin Friend and Tyler Borzak at Palatine High School.
“I think it was just a year of experience and maturity,” Shick said of the Drake and Hussey’s advancing to the state meet this year. “It was their mental game. They’ve been having more fun; playing more carefree. They were only sophomores last year and hadn’t played much top varsity.”
Both Drake and Hussey said one thing they continue to work on is letting bad shots and miscues go and focusing on the next point.
“You’ve just got to forget about it, or it will kill you the whole match,” Drake said. “It will just go downhill from there, so you’ve to shake it off.”
Hussey stressed having fun has been important to their success so far this season. That is something Shick said he sees when watching the two play as a teammates.
“They start goofing around if they can see one person is starting to get a little down,” Shick said. “They’re pretty close, so they work really good as a team.”
But making a teammate laugh to get them out of a lull isn’t the only thing Hussey and Drake do well on the tennis court. Shick said both players have good forehands, backhands, and he said both work well close to the net.
“They both don’t really have a weakness,” Shick said. “As long as they play their game, they can beat most teams. Both of them have a very good net game, and both of them can serve very well at times. It’s all mental for them. If they’re mentally right, then they don’t lose. They do well at everything as long as they can keep picking each other up. That’s how they compliment each other.”
Drake and Hussey will need to rely on all facets of their tennis game when the state meet starts. The majority of the competitors at the state meet – and nearly all of the seeded players – are from the Chicago suburbs.
“They’re going to be going in as big time underdogs,” Shick said. “I’m really hoping they don’t take it too seriously and just play loose.”
That game plan shouldn’t be too difficult for Hussey and Drake to follow. Both have bought into playing loose and have the doubles partner chemistry to do it.
“We’re going to have fun and see if we can win a few rounds maybe,” Hussey said.
“We have to keep our heads in it,” Drake countered.
“Just have fun and not be too tense,” Hussey said to sum up the duos’ goal at state.
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