USTA Nationals
Ascenzo Stays Aggressive to Claim Boys 12 Title
by James Hill, 15 August 2023
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Second-seeded Tristan Ascenzo (Dallas, Texas) picked up his first USTA gold ball by winning the Boys 12 National Singles Championship.
Singles Champion Tristan Ascenzo
© Contributed Photo
Ascenzo defeated third-seeded Joshua Dolinsky (Brooklyn, New York) in a 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 battle at the Mobile Tennis Center in Mobile, Alabama. Ascenzo was a finalist at last month’s Clay Courts in Orlando, Florida.
“I wanted it more and I was hungry,” Ascenzo said. “I attacked the second serve and was more aggressive with my forehand whenever I had the opportunity.”
The sixth-seeded team of Siddhant Dua (Charlotte, North Carolina) and Smyan Vijay (Apex, North Carolina) took out top seeds Ascenzo and Sebastian Zavala (Allen, Texas) 6-2, 6-4 in the doubles final.
Dua and Vijay played together for the first time and picked up their first gold balls.
“Our overall confidence and being aggressive at the net, and our energy,” Dua said about the success of their partnership. “His forehand from the baseline set me up well. My net game was really good this week.”
Additionally, the singles and doubles champions were presented special blue jackets.
The singles semifinals were both straight-sets affairs. Ascenzo beat fifth-seeded Rex Kulman (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) 6-0, 6-4. Dolinksy advanced to the finals with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over No. 17 Payton Yea (Hilton Head Island, South Carolina).
Kulman went on to win third place with a 6-2, 6-3 decision over Yea.
In the doubles semifinals, Dua and Vijay won a 6-1, 3-6, 6-0 battle with second seeds Luca de Calice (Southport, Connecticut) and Nathan Goldman (Wayland, Massachusetts). Ascenzo and Zavala defeated the No. 9 duo of Dolinsky and Kulman 6-2, 6-0.
Doubles Champions Smyan Vijay and Siddhant Dua
© Contributed Photo
Dolinsky and Kulman won third place in doubles with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over de Calice and Goldman.
Top singles seed Dylan Meineke (Frisco, Texas), who won the Clay Courts title, received the Sportsmanship Award.
Other singles winners:
West – Dylan Meineke
North – Gregg Carlevato (Mequon, Wisconsin)
South – Aaron Paul (Bridgewater, New Jersey)
Northeast – Luke Jones (Port St. Lucie, Florida)
Northwest – Andy Wu (Diamond Bar, California)
Southwest – Alexander Anderson (Davis, California)
Southeast – Seth Nguyen (Camarillo, California)
Silver – Smyan Thuta (San Jose, California)
Gold – Nicholas Du (Hinsdale, Illinois)
Next Up - Girls 12s
Check back this afternoon for our wrap of the Girls 12s from Peachtree Corners, Georgia - as TRN continues with our exclusive coverage of Championship Week.
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About James Hill
James Hill is the Assistant Sports Information Director at Trinity
University in San Antonio and a freelance writer. He has covered all
levels of tennis competition.
