Waynesville junior takes 25-0 record into district tennis tourney

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By Debbie Juniewicz, Contributing Writer 2:13 AM Wednesday, October 14, 2009

WAYNESVILLE — Alyssa Ritchie makes it look easy.

The Waynesville High School tennis player has compiled a spotless 25-0 record. The most games Ritchie has lost in a set is two, including the Division II sectional final in which she defeated Alter sophomore Katie Boeckman 6-1, 6-1 for the title and a No. 1 seed for the district, which kicks off Thursday, Oct. 15.

“Katie Boeckman is a very nice player but Alyssa had all the confidence in the world,” Waynesville coach Dale Bowman said. “She has cleaned up her backhand, is coming in on short balls and has more confidence in her volleys overall.”

The confident Spartans junior also had all the motivation she needed — a whole year’s worth.

Ritchie has been on a quest since the day she lost her district quarterfinal last season. After qualifying to state as a freshman, Ritchie was stopped by Gabby Steele, the eventual D-II state runner-up from Summit Country Day.

“I was mad for a while — a couple of weeks, maybe a month,” Ritchie said. “But, now, I’m more determined than ever to make it back to state.”

Her determination is not limited to the tennis court; Ritchie maintains a 4.2 GPA.

“She is such a perfectionist, whether it’s a test or a tennis match,” Bowman said. “And it’s not just that she wants to win the match, she tries to win every single point.”

Ritchie started playing tennis when she was 7 years old and she was playing competitively by the time she was 10. While some athletes stop playing other sports to focus on one, Ritchie did the opposite. She started running track for the Spartans to help her improve her tennis game. She now holds three school track records in the 800-meter run and two relays.

“It helps me a lot. I feel like I’m in better shape than I have ever been,” Ritchie said.

She continues to challenge herself, working out with former state qualifier Andrew Seni, who also played for Ball State, as well as other tournament-tested local players.

“It’s nice to hit with boys because they hit it harder,” Ritchie said.

The Spartans junior is looking forward to playing at the Lindner Family Tennis Center, site of the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters and Women’s Open tournaments. Ritchie watched her favorite player, Jelena Jankovic, compete at Mason last summer.

“She makes good shots but she also has fun on the court,” Ritchie said. “She shows that you can be determined and still have a lot of fun, that’s why I like her.”

Ritchie also likes the venue.

“It’s a lot of fun to play where the pros play, it makes you feel better than you are,” she said.

Contact this writer at djunie@aol.com.