Sunday, April 25, 1999
Time away keeps Pittman on his game
Sycamore's No. 1 breezes to Classic title
BY DAVE SCHUTTE
Enquirer contributor
If there were any doubts who is Cincinnati's best high school tennis player, they were put to rest Saturday at Princeton High School.
It's Eric Pittman, the Division I defending state champion from Sycamore, who easily claimed the Southwest Ohio Coaches Classic Tennis championship.
Pittman defeated Seven Hills junior Brandon Smith 6-1, 6-2 to win the Flight A, No.1 singles title for the second consecutive year.
Jason Zimmermann, a sophomore at Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy, won the Flight A, No.2 singles with teammate Robbie Caress winning Flight A, No.3 singles.
Sycamore was the easy winner of the Flight A championship with 275 points. Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy was second at 155.
A three-sport athlete at Sycamore, Pittman played wide receiver for the football team and was the starting point guard on the basketball team.
“The time away from tennis helps me,” Pittman said. “A lot of the guys play all year and aren't sharp. Every time I go out, I'm fresh and excited about the match.”
Though Pittman only has been playing the past four weeks, the 18-year-old looked in top form. He served well and was quick to the ball.
“It doesn't take long to come back,” Pittman said. “Some players who sit out a month lose rhythm and technique. It's hard to explain but that's never been a problem.”
Against Smith, also a basketball player at Seven Hills, Pittman won the first five games of the first set and finished off the match with four consecutive wins.
Pittman recently has passed up scholarship offers from Purdue, Penn State and Miami.
Instead Pittman accepted a nomination to the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo.
“I was looking to the future and this was a unique opportunity,” Pittman said. “They don't play much during the summer because that's when most of the military training is conducted.”
He reports to the academy on June 18 to prepare for basic training in July and August.
NO.1 DOUBLES: The biggest surprise of the tournament was by David Porter and Kenney Riddell, Anderson's No.1 doubles team.
The unseeded duo won the Flight A, No.1 doubles championship with a 7-5, 6-2 victory over Brian Pittman and Marshall Kursman of Sycamore.
“David and Kenney are good friends and play well together,” Anderson coach Dan Bartholomew said. “They play singles during the season but will play doubles in the sectional tournament.”
NO.2 SINGLES: A more mentally mature and physical ly strong Jason Zimmermann from Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy appeared ready for the road to the state tournament.
Zimmermann, a 16-year-old sophomore, defeated unseeded Walnut hills sophomore Jonathan Khoury, 6-2, 7-5 to claim the Flight A, No. 2 singles title.
“I grew three inches and lifted weights during the winter,” Zimmermann said. “I'm playing with more confidence but confidence comes from winning.”
Zimmermann qualified to the state tournament last year as a freshman but was beaten in the first round.
“I didn't play well at state,” Zimmermann said. “If I play my game, I could win it this season.”
NO. 3 SINGLES: The longest match of the day was the Flight A, No.3 singles battle between No.1 seeded Dave Gebhart from Indian Hill and CHCA's Robbie Caress.
Gebhart won in a three set match (6-3, 4-6, 6-1) that took nearly three hours to play.
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