Young Queenwood tennis player makes her mark on the school team
QUEENWOOD tennis player Jenna Svatos is only in Year 8 but is already the No. 2 singles player in her school.
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CONSISTENTLY achieving smaller goals along the way has helped tennis player Jenna Svatos to accomplish bigger things.
The 13-year-old is this week’s Mosman Daily Local Sports Star nominee in the Young Sporting Spirit category.
Jenna started at Queenwood this year and has already made her mark on the school’s tennis team.
She was selected as the school’s No. 2 singles player despite only being in Year 8.
Jenna has reached the round of 16 in her two most recent tournaments, her coach praising her consistency and determination to succeed.
She counts her achievements in the Tildesley Shield last month, an Association of Heads of Independent Girls’ Schools open tournament, as among her best to date.
Jenna said she had gone further in the competition than any other Queenwood student at their first attempt.
“This was my first year playing Tildesley and I got to the third round of singles; I was pleased,” she said.
“I was close to getting to the fourth round, but I just did not make it.
“My third round opponent was a few years older than me and more experienced.
“The school as a whole came third overall out of 25 schools.”
Jenna moved to Queenwood for its year-round tennis program.
“It offers a lot of things to help me improve and I’m really enjoying it,” she said.
“I started tennis in kindergarten and I’ve been playing it for nine years now.
“My dad played tennis a lot and I started joining in and then ever since that, even to this day, I still play tennis with him.”
Jenna trains six times a week and relishes the different challenges which tennis presents.
“There are a lot of components which make up a player,” she said.
“You have to improve on your mental side, your strategy, your technique, your footwork, your placements and fitness as well.
“There are all these little things you have to be good at to be a good player.
“I’m not afraid to put pressure on my opponent by going to the net.”
Jenna said tennis also required players to be able to focus.
“Tennis is a very enjoyable and hard sport,” she said.
“But it’s something that you really have to focus on because it’s not easy and that just makes it more fun because it doesn’t come easy.
“Since you have to work harder to achieve little things, when you achieve those things it just makes it more enjoyable because you have achieved it.
“What helps is to set a goal and it just makes it more enjoyable when you reach it.”
Jenna dreams of becoming a top level tennis player one day.
“I’d like to play at an international level and reach my potential,” she said.
“I admire Roger Federer — he’s my main one — and in the women’s I like Karolina Pliskova.
“Federer is just perfect: he has good manners, he has a good style and he’s smart on the court.
“Pliskova has a really nice style in the shots she plays and her technique.”
Nominate a Local Sports Star online — entry is free — at dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/localsportsstars
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