Tennis: James Cornell Competes in Singles at State Next Thursday

James Cornell after winning Region IV Tennis Singles decided to go eat after tasting victory over his Wimberley opponent. Way to GO JAMES & GO LAKE!

Canyon Lake ‘Hawk’ Proud!!

James Cornell says not too fast Hawk Nation…there is still some more business to take care of.

Cornell won Region IV Tennis Singles in San Antonio last week and will step back on the courts this coming Thursday with a chance to continue this banner campaign.

This has been a good end of season run for Cornell after winning District beating a No. 1 Seeded Wimberley’s Tyler Youens, 6-3, 6-3.

At the San Antonio’s Blossom Tennis Center~ Cornell on his first day of competition won the first round, 6-0 ~ 6-0 and the second round, 6-0 ~ 7-6 which qualified for another day on Thursday against the No. 1 Seed for Region IV out of Tulosa Midway in the Corpus Christi area.

                     GO HAWKS!!

It was more of the same with an 8am start that had Cornell in command again finishing with this conquest, 6-2 ~ 6-3 in the Semi-Finals.

Now the scene would be a repeat of District and Wimberley’s Youens. “He had beat me 3 times before I played him in the district finals,” James Cornell said.

Cornell commented on his game against the No. 1 Seed, “He did not have a big serve so I knew I would be able to place to ball deep…. I had him working a lot and used my peripheral and his feet to know where I could place the ball.”

    Way to GO JAMES & GO LAKE!

Coach Coby Mickey, “James is very good at going side to side with his volley and that certainly helped during this game.”

“I needed to take this first game so bad and I was stoked after the win knowing that I would get to go to State,” Cornell recalled.

Since three players qualify by winning this game qualified Cornell for more tennis next week.

Pitted against Youren for a player who had won those first 3 contests, it would be pivotal and a, 7-5 ~ 6-4 conquest would prove that first district win was not a fluke.

There was still some rough times as Cornell was down in that first set, 4-5 but rebounded for this win, “I was just playing very lazy and Coach (Mickey) told me I was playing pretty lazy, so I was thinking right then and there was not the time for rest and that I would have the whole weekend to rest so I started to play more aggressive and ‘serve and volley’ a lot more….that means to go where you serve the ball and put away a point).”

Put away a point was the point for this comeback and then riding that momentum for his second set victory.

                Go James & GO Lake!

Now Cornell will draw a bye during the first round which should have an advantage giving a chance to see two players and knowing one would be next up.

With Texas being so large it is next to impossible to have an idea of tendencies of players 200-500 miles away and being a top seed having a chance to strategize before their first battle.

What are your thoughts? “Win that first match,” Cornell said excitedly.

Next Thursday @ Annemarie Tennis Center in San Antonio!

The last Hawk Athlete this year has already gone where no other Lake Athlete has gone….Now Go James & GO LAKE!