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Larry Qu and Sebastian Rios headed to the "Zoo"

2016 USTA Boys’ 18 & 16 National Tournament, Kalamazoo, Michigan

 

Better known to juniors as “Nats at the Zoo”

 

    Each summer the excitement of the USTA Boys' 18s & 16s National Championships overtakes Kalamazoo, Michigan. For the last 74 years the USTA Boys' 18 & 16 National Championships have taken place there .This tournament is the single most important event of the tennis year for the 400-plus outstanding juniors who arrive from all parts of the United States. Ten days of intense, tough, inspired tennis earn for each of the ultimate winners in singles and doubles the cherished title of United States National Champion. And as a testament to the incredible tennis played here, the 18s Champions in Singles and Doubles receive an automatic bid to the main draw of the U.S. Open Tournament. This year, Larry Qu from Ridgeland and Christopher “Sebastian” Rios from Tupelo were selected to play doubles at Kalamazoo August 5-14!

    Larry is 16 years old and a rising junior at St. Andrew's Episcopal School in Ridgeland. He has been playing tennis since he was 6 years old.  He plays at River Hills Club and is coached by TJ Middleton.  Qu has played on the varsity tennis team since 7th grade, which has won 14 consecutive State Championships and coached by Emillia Viljoen. For the 2016 season he won the high school tennis player of the year for MS Preps.  Qu recently went to Delray Florida to compete in the USTA Boys’ 18 & 16 National Clay Court Championship in Delray Beach and he and Sebastian played doubles. This prestigious event, consisting of approximately 400 of the top-ranked boys 18s & 16s in the United States, is one of the premier amateur sporting events in the United States.

    Sebastian began his tennis journey at the age of 9. With the help of local pro Dennis Ottono, Sebastian began learning the fundamentals of the game and started competing in local tournaments.  By the age of 10, it was clear that Sebastian had a love for the game.  At the age of 11, he started working with pro Keita Jones in Memphis, TN.  He started playing higher level tournaments, working on developing his fitness level more and began traveling across the south competing at higher level tournaments. He also began representing Team Mississippi in the Southern Cup. At the age of 13, Sebastian began working with former ATP pro Keith Evans at Germantown Country Club in TN. He began playing National tournaments and working extremely hard to improve on his weakness and to try to take his tennis to the next level. With the help of his coach and tons of hard work he continues to put in the time to hopefully play College Tennis who knows after that….  Rios also went to Delray Florida to compete in the USTA Boys’ 18 & 16 National Clay Court Championship in Delray Beach.

 

 

Adult Programs

The 2024 Mississippi Rock & Roll Wheelchair Tournament, a Level 3 USTA Sanctioned Tournament, is set to take place April 26-28!