Championship Week
Alex Lee Claims USTA Boys 14 Nationals
by James Hill, 17 August 2016
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SAN ANTONIO - Alex Lee of Oak Brook, Ill., is now a two-time national champion.
The top-seeded Lee captured the singles crown of the
USTA Boys 14 National Championships with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over No. 5
Jameson Corsillo of Boca Raton, Fla. Prior to his win at McFarlin Tennis Center, Lee garnered the
Easter Bowl championship in a three-set match against
Andrew Dale.
The talented Lee utilized workmanlike precision in claiming the title in the Alamo City event. Ranked in the Top 25 of the freshman class, Lee used a sweeping forehand and pounded from the baseline to get through the week-long tournament. However, there were some serious challenges along the way. Lee fought off eighth-seeded Marcus McDaniel (Vacaville, Calif.) in the quarterfinals and No. 6 Eliot Spizzirri (Greenwich, Conn.) in the semis. Both were three-set battles.
"I just followed a game plan and dug deep," said Lee, of his tournament strategy and determination. "Whenever I could, I finished off the point at the net. My forehand and ground game were strong. My practice was more intense over the last year."
The intense practice to which he was referring was with Lance Luciani of Sarasota, Fla. Interestingly, both Lee and Corsillo train at the Luciani Tennis Player Development.
Corsillo was also a winner of key three-setters, in the quarterfinals and the semifinals in San Antonio. He first beat fourth-seeded Jeffrey Fradkin (New York, N.Y.), and then defeated No. 14 Saiprakash Goli (Mason, Ohio). The former Little Mo National Champion reached this year's round of 16 at the USTA Boys 14 Clay Courts. Corsillo was a singles finalist at the Winter Nationals and Easter Bowl 12s last year.
