By Randy Walker
@TenniisPublisher
The following is the story of the US Open 2019 when 16-year-old American Zach Svajda played a somewhat historic first round game against a happier, Paolo Lorenzi, who is now the tournament director for the Italian open!
San Diego’s sixteen-year-old Zach Svajda joined the will of Aaron Krickstein, Jimmy Arias and Michael Chang as American men to play in the main table of the US Open as a 15 or 16-year-old when he played what a typical opening day was open drama.
Svajda, the winner of the 18S championships of the USTA National Boy in Kalamazoo, Michigan, fought against an experienced veteran in Paolo Lorenzi of Italy, 21 years his senior at the age of 37 and a “happy loser” participant in the event then us open finalist Kevin Anderson. Svajda showed amazing guilt and shot-making and took a lead of two sets-to-love, but on 3-3 in the third set signs of cramp began to show him the rest of the four-hour, 20-minute match that was eventually won by Lorenzi 3-6, 6-7 (4, 7-6.
“I would just finish it even if I couldn’t stand or move,” said Svajda in his press conference after the game. “I would just serve underhand or something. I would not notice.”
Svajda, a somewhat built but growing 5-8, 140 pounds, hit the range of 110 mph by full tilt, but could only serve in the reach of 75-90 MPH when it was hit with the cramps in his top left and right quad muscles. His cunning game and defensive skills, however, remained in the game, leaving three points of the victory a few times in the fourth set.
As the match progressed in a fourth and fifth set, the crowd of New York declined and surrounded Court No. 5 in the USTA National Tennis Center in a single ——sister environment. Fans sang his name “SVI-JA” and “Let’s Go Zach” and ESPN television gave the game attention during the broadcast. Former American open champion Andy Roddick watched the game on TV and SMS’TE USTA National Coach Dean Goldfine that he was impressed by young Svajda. The New York Times smelled the meaning of the game and reporter David Walstein wrote an excellent article about what was perhaps the best match of the first day of the tournament here: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/27/sports/tennis/zachary-svajda-us-open.html
Playing in the US Open as a young teenager as no guarantee for future success. A history of young men to play at the US Open can be found here: http://www.worldtennismagazine.com/archives/17141
We open fans get another chance to see this talent in the second week of the event when the US. OUTS JUNIOR Championships are held.
(This article was originally posted on Tuesday 27 August 2019)
The transcript of Svajda’s Post-Match Interview can be found here:
Interviewer: did you play someone older than he played in a match?
Svajda: I don’t have it. No.
Interviewer: no.
Svajda: no. He is very experienced. Yes, a lot of experience. But no, the first time.
Interviewer: Talk about the experience that is there and the atmosphere and then the crowd, and they were behind you, how was it?
Svajda: Yes, that was great, the audience was great. I thought it was great. They were every point with me, everything. It was a great atmosphere. Certainly.
Interviewer: Talk a bit about how your life has changed since we saw you in Vero Beach.
Svajda: Right.
Interviewer: You played in the Quallies of A Futures event. Won a few rounds, played some futures and so on. Won Kalamazoo, just talk a bit about how your life has changed a bit since we saw you in Vero Beach.
Svajda: Right, yes. From Vero Beach I won, was qualified, won a round. But just go back in Orlando training also with my coach and everything, but I think the training blocks really helped me. Especially in Kalamazoo. Because seven games, eight games, so I think that was good for me, many games. But I played well in Kalamazoo.
Interviewer: talk a bit about your decision, you have become professional. Is this your first Pro tournament?
Svajda: Yes, yes, yes.
Interviewer: Just talk a little about what went into that decision, I mean, you clearly went to Kalamazoo with 16 is a great achievement.
Svajda: That has always been my goal, pro, but I mean the family, and the coaches and everything were before, so I thought it was the right decision … to do.
Interviewer: I know you have not played many tournaments, you will stick to that pattern or expect to play
Svajda: I will probably do more, yes, if they want me, I will make a lot of competitions. Yes, I will do the juniors here, and futures, challengers, go back. But not too many juniors, maybe the Grand Slams, but that’s just about it.
Interviewer: So the juniors and the Grand Slams?
Svajda: The Junior Grand Slams.
Interviewer: But what kind of tournaments do you think you will play for the rest of the year?
Svajda: Challengers. Futures, maybe. HPs, I don’t know.
Interviewer: I know that you have touched some of the top professionals, talk about your relationship with John and some of the other top professionals and how that experience was. What they say to you, give you advice.
Svajda: Yes, John is great, I practiced with him in Dallas last year, so I go upstairs occasionally. We have the same in Orlando, and some professionals there, and it’s great. They know what they say. They said they enjoy and so, enjoy your time. That certainly did all that.
Interviewer: Did you touch Federer? By the-
Svajda: I did it at Indian Wells. Yes.
Interviewer: How was that like?
Svajda: That was great. It was four days? Three or four days. But it was great. Great guy.
Interviewer: Were you nervous?
Svajda: I was pretty nervous in the beginning. Then I was used to it, I think, because I practice with some professionals. Yes, I was nervous.
Interviewer: He likes to hit you, right?
Svajda: Yes.
Interviewer: because he brought you back.
Svajda: Yes. He asked me.
Interviewer: You were cramping during the competition. How often? And when did it start?
Svajda: It started at the start of the third set.
Interviewer: Okay.
Svajda; And it was just a bit my legs, but after a few games, a cramp with full body. My back, feet, fingers, everything.
Interviewer: Have you ever suffered those cramps? Or was it the first time in your life?
Svajda: That was my first time. First time.
Interviewer: But how can you continue two sets if you had the cramps, the start of the third set, how could you continue for two hours?
Svajda: Right. It was difficult. But just try to get up. It was difficult. It was finished and through. That’s why I couldn’t really touch my serve. I would go for my serve and then my whole body would cramp. So I just had to let it run, not use my legs or something. So it was difficult.
Interviewer: Thought a thought? Or would you finish it?
Svajda: No, I would just finish it. Even if I couldn’t stand or move. I would just serve underhand or something. I would not fail.
Interviewer: And when you went to the fifth set, you thought that even if you were a cramp, you still got the chance to win?
Svajda: Yes. I thought the entire game I had a chance to win, even though I was down. I thought I could come back. But I just didn’t give up. It didn’t go my way. But it’s fine. Just take it as learning. Absolutely positives there are.
Interviewer: Your background is Czech, whether you speak Czech?
Svajda: not me. No.
Interviewer: your father does?
Svajda: no. He doesn’t do that. He has been adopted. So it’s his father, or something. Or grandpa. Don’t know.
Interviewer: do you take a lot of confidence that you are 16 years old, there have been many great players who played in this tournament, on 16, 15, Jimmy Arias, Aaron Krickstein, Donald Young, etc., Do you take a lot of confidence that you are now included in this group at this age?
Svajda: Yes, yes, I do. I do. Even losing the competition, yes, I will certainly consider it trust. I won’t be too much on myself.
Interviewer: there are many people who are almost desperate to see an American male player reach the top, and do you feel that? Do you feel that the fans really hope …
Svajda: I’m starting to do now, yes. Yes, I’m starting now.
Interviewer: On the field with all those people who cheer for you, can you feel it?
Svajda: Yes, sure, felt it.
Interviewer: How did you feel when they sang your name?
Svajda: Oh, that was pretty cool. Yes, I have never experienced that in my life. I thought it was great. It was great. Great atmosphere that is there.
Interviewer: are you going to play the juniors? Or you go-
Svajda: I play the juniors, yes. I think that’s next week? Or something.
Interviewer: Are you the favorite?
Svajda: I don’t know. Don’t know. I don’t have a ranking or something. So I will probably not be sown. Because I don’t play juniors. I play two ITFs, so that’s it. It will be fun.
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