What use to be a rare occurrence is now becoming common place for Polk County boys tennis.
What use to be a rare occurrence is now becoming commonplace for Polk County boys tennis: For the second consecutive season, The Ledger boys player of the year is not the county champion.
But he is the reigning county champion.
Lakeland Christian junior Matt Nelson posted a 9-0 record in No. 1 singles this season to win this year’s honor, which included a thrilling come-from-behind win against All Saints Academy senior and 2019 Ledger boys player of the year Anay Patel. Nelson is now a Ledger All-County first-team selection for the second consecutive season.
Patel became last year’s player of the year after rebounding from a county final loss to Nelson to win the district championship finals match and eventually advance to the state tournament for the second consecutive season.
Nelson held the 2019 county bragging rights but was unable to advance to the state tournament, and with the COVID-19 pandemic shutting down the 2020 campaign before Polk tournament or the FHSAA postseason, he remains the reigning champion.
The 5-foot-10 right-handed hitting Nelson spent most of the off-season preparing to reach the state finals for the first time, and in the process he found a way to up his game against Patel. He also likes to go fishing and speculates he has gained more patience from it, which helped against Patel.
"I learned to try to stay in the points longer going against Patel and don’t always go for winners right after the start," Nelson said. "I just have to stay in the points and play them out. I tend to go for too much, too quick. Taking my time and slowing down, it boosted my confidence and really helped me. "
Trailing at the midpoint against Patel in a regular-season match this year, his strategy paid off.
"I saved four match points in the middle of the second set, and then I came back and won. I had to have complete focus and I made sure I was drinking a bunch of water to stay hydrated," he said.
He has improved his game and athleticism by spending the lion’s share of his time at the Brandon Sports and Aquatics Center. He would only attend school practices if there was a challenge match or he needed to put some doubles work in.
"I am there every day, and I play as many matches as I can. I see all my teammates during school so I don’t think it really affected them," Nelson said. "My biggest improvement has been just staying focused in the matches. I’ve been concentrating on having a better diet."
Lakeland Christian head coach Debbie Stump saw a vast improvement in his game.
"He was totally mentally tough this year," Stump said. "He was persevering and never gave up. When he was down, he was so tough mentally, he was able to come back and win every match."
He plays USTA tournaments as much as possible. Before the high school season started, he qualified for the consolation finals of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association summer tournament for high school players.
"My goals for the 2021 season are to win county again and get to the state tournament. I haven’t been there before and I want to really go deep into the tournament," he said.
BOYS FIRST TEAM
• Sebastian Martinez, Bartow, Senior: He was 6-2 in No. 1 singles.
• Conner Bright, Bartow, Senior: He was 8-1 in No. 2 singles.
• Anay Patel, All Saints, Senior: He was 6-1 in singles.
• Sam Mercer, George Jenkins, Junior: He was 7-1 in No. 1 singles.
• Sam Reeder, Lakeland, Sophomore: He was 9-2 in singles.
STRONG PERFORMERS
Rick Suarez-Whitt, Kathleen; Sam Monserrate, McKeel; Wenjo Lai, LCS; Bryce DeLong, Lake Gibson; Wenjo Lai, LCS; Tanner Simpson, Geneva; Caspian Collany, SFC; Alex Samaro, Winter Haven.
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June 22, 2020 at 12:17AM
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All-County boys tennis: LCS’s Matt Nelson had a perfect season going - The Ledger
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