A Day of Aces as High School Students Take the Court
These were no ordinary high school students at the 2011 SAP Open High School Writers Day event—they are the future professionals of the journalism industry. Twenty high school writers and photographers were granted the opportunity to go behind the scenes of the SAP Open and step into shoes of a professional sports journalist on Wednesday, February 9, 2011.
The journalists received media credentials upon entrance to kick-off a tour of the HP first class facility which led them from the press box at the peak of the building, down to the courtside seats where they watched Croatian Ivo Karlovic defeat American Ryan Sweeting. The match was followed by a press conference where the student participants greatly resembled the aptitude and etiquette of experienced professionals, which then led into a panel discussion, and press room lunch.
The following week students submitted their most impressive photos and articles from which a winning journalist and photographer were selected and rewarded a lap top courtesy of HP. Such a fulfilling experience combined with the students’ incredible work ethic just may be the launch to a long and promising career in the world of sports journalism. The winning article and photo follow:
Winning Photograph of Ryan Sweeting: Amar Kantipudi
Winning Writer: Danielle Lerner of Lynbrook HS
In San Jose’s HP Pavilion on Wednesday, February 9, the crowd of 2,000 people collectively held its breath. Heads moved back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, then stopped suddenly. Ivo Karlovic raised his hand in triumph as his opponent Ryan Sweeting’s return sailed over the net and out of bounds. After two sets, spanning one hour and eight minutes of play, it was over.
For the 6’10” Croatian, currently ranked 122 in the world with a career high world ranking of No. 14, the victory brought him one step closer to claiming his first ATP title, after losing the 2007 crown 6-7(3), 6-4, 7-6(2) to Andy Murray. Throughout that 155-minute match, Karlovic had 26 aces, adding to his reputation of having led the ATP in aces from ’07-‘09. This season, after coming back from an ankle injury, he yielded 19 aces during his 108-minute victory over Sweeting.
Karlovic’s 140 mph serve may have marked the end of the 6-4, 6-4 match, but it was not yet the end of a very eventful day for the attendees of the annual SAP Open High School Writers Day. The 15 Bay Area high school journalism students were given the opportunity of a life time to experience a day in the life of a professional journalist through a behind the scenes glance at one of HP Pavilion’s most popular events. Beginning with a tour of the building, including a luxury suite and the official media room, we got a sense of the history behind the 18-year-old arena. Walking through the immense hallways lined with pictures of past tennis greats such as John McEnroe and Andre Agassi, I couldn’t help the wave of awe and reverence that washed over me. After our morning tour concluded with a trip into the rafters where the announcers perch, we were ushered back into the present for the main attraction - sitting courtside at the match, merely feet away from where two of the most amazing players in tennis were battling it out. The environment sent a rush of adrenaline through my veins. To say it was amazing would be a severe understatement.
Karlovic and Sweeting had never before met in formal play, so expectations were indeterminate, and apprehension was tangible in the air as reporters furiously scribbled notes and photographers snapped away. Karlovic reflected on the tense atmosphere after the match, saying, “I didn’t really have any [expectations]; I was just trying to focus more on my game and didn’t want to get distracted by worrying about results beforehand. I can never predict what will happen.”
When asked how he gets rid of nerves during a match, the Croatian grinned mischievously and replied “Ace.”
With Sweeting serving first, he and Karlovic steadily traded games for the majority of the first set. Then, in the fifth game, the flow was disrupted as Sweeting served at 30-40. Karlovic lashed a powerful forehand return crosscourt, forcing a netted backhand from Sweeting, and giving Karlovic his first of two break points for the match to go up 3-2. From there, the rest of the set seemed to rush by, ending with Karlovic winning 6-4 after only 40 minutes.
His momentum continued into the second set, where he logged seven more aces than in the previous set and broke Sweeting’s serve yet again. After picking up the win, Karlovic reflected that Sweeting “started to guess more” in the second set, allowing him to focus more intensely on his serve, which the lanky athlete jokingly dubbed his “weapon”.
As the humble winner departed from the press room, he must have sensed the great gift of inspiration he had just bestowed upon the aspiring journalists, stemming from the rich history of the tournament. As the day drew to a close, young reporters and photographers left buzzing with anticipation, ready to do justice to the field and create legacies of their own.
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