Jake Jacoby tends to seek realistic milestones, and he has one in mind for today.
He wants another High School Overall tennis title.
Jacoby, a senior at Pulaski Academy, advanced through the quarterfinals of the tournament Wednesday at Burns Park Tennis Center and will play Edward Zhao of Little Rock Central in the semifinals today. The winner of that match will play the winner of the other semifinal match up between Arkansas Baptist’s Trent Brandon and Mountain Home’s Christian Mathis.
Jacoby believes winning another Overall championship is a realistic objective.He was the Overall champion as a sophomore in 2011 before losing to teammate Julio Olaya in the final last season.
“I’ve always set high goals, but they’re achievable goals,” Jacoby said. “I think that’s important, because otherwise you get discouraged. I mean, if you tell yourself that you want to be in Wimbledon and then if you can’t get there, that discourages you not only in your tennis but in your long-term life. So, I set yearly goals and goals like playing Division I [in college] that are achievable but tough at the same time.”
Hot Springs Lakeside’s Tatum Rice will play Alye Darter of Rogers Heritage in a girls semifinal match up today, with Valley View’s Emily Metcalf playing Lindsay Pearce of Fort Smith Southside in the other.
All of the semifinal matches are scheduled for 10 a.m., with the finals set for 1 p.m. The boys’ doubles semifinals and final are scheduled for 11 a.m. and 2 p.m, and the girls’ semifinals and final are scheduled for 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Jacoby had a bye through the first round before facing Mulberry junior Luke Anderson in the quarterfinals. Anderson had advanced with a 6-1, 6-4, victory over Valley View’s Matt Phillips, but Jacoby cruised past him 6-0, 6-1 in a quarterfinal match that Jacoby said was more challenging that the score suggested.
“He was a lot better player than I expected,” Jacoby said. “His game impressed me. He was able to hold with my power, and sometimes we had some longer rallies. He was able to return my serve as well.”
Anderson said his hope before the match was to win a game, or perhaps two.
“He keeps everything in play, and he never misses,” Anderson said.
Anderson said every facet of Jacoby’s game impressed him, but his backhand stood out.
“It’s hard and it has a lot of spin,” Anderson said. “Everything about it is good.”
Jacoby admitted that he has always favored his backhand.
“Ever since I picked up a racket, it’s always been my favorite shot,” said Jacoby, who has narrowed his college choices to Alabama, Iowa, Navy and Wake Forest. “I’m not sure why, but for some reason I’ve always thought that having two hands on the racket, as opposed to one, makes it more stable for me.”
Jacoby said he was pleased with all of his strokes and that a key for him is his mental toughness.
“What I’ve [been] working on lately is making sure I have a positive attitude the whole time,” he said. “Mental toughness, as you get to a higher level of tennis, is very important. You can have a better game, better strokes, than a kid you’re playing, but if he’s mentally tougher than you he can easily win.”
The forecast calls for rain today, which could force play indoors, but Jacoby said he is ready if that happens.
“I love indoor tennis,” Jacoby said. “The courts are always faster. There are no elements to deal with, so it’s a little easier in that way. Playing indoors should help me a lot.”
Either way, Anderson offered one suggestion to Jacoby’s competitors.
“Don’t hit it to him,” he said.
Sports, Pages 23 on 10/31/2013