Choy prepares to serve the ball using the Continental grip by holding his racket like an axe. Photo by Katherine Huang

“Serve” up some respect, show some “love” for boys’ tennis

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Tennis requires endurance, agility, and hand-eye coordination. The varsity boys team knows this well as they train every day after school with the goal of winning their league and advancing to CIF.

“I see tennis as more of a calm sport with less pressure since you’re playing with at most [three other] people, and there isn’t a big crowd watching you from the sidelines,” sophomore Kenny Luo said. “I have played tennis for about a year and three months. Tennis is a sport in which most people tend to not learn or play while growing up, unlike basketball or soccer. Because of that, I had to learn how to play the sport from the basics.”

Tennis involves many techniques including different swing shapes and grips. Players work to perfect their forehand, backhand, and serves. Some common tennis grips include the Continental, the Eastern Forehand, and the Western Forehand Grip. Players use different grips based on their preference and the type of shot they want to hit.

“Learning the forehand and the serve was the hardest for me because the form consumed a lot of time for me to understand it,” Luo said. “Learning the backhand and volleying wasn’t so hard as I got better at it day by day. I had put lots of work and experience into the sport, but I am still not perfect at it. Even until today, I am still learning how to get better and better every time I practice.”

When working with a doubles’ partner, communication, teamwork, and synergy are especially important. Luo’s current partner, senior James Choy, is also one of the captains of boys’ tennis with senior Anson Lai.

“The thing I love most about tennis is just playing it,” Choy said. “When I’m playing tennis I feel like I’m having some good fun and when I win, it feels so great. Captains need [to have] leadership skills, to be very social, and to love the team.”

As captains, Choy and Lai want to train the team to finish strong this season. Both captains will be graduating at the end of this school year, but hope to see the team winning their league this season.

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