Tobia Prevails In BJKNTC Junior Tennis Classic Championships

Sometimes all it takes is one point to completely change the outcome of a tennis match.

Competing in the finals of the Girls 12-and-under event at the BJKNTC Junior Tennis Class Championships held in Flushing on Monday, Keira Tobia of Tuckahoe learned that lesson, and it could not have come at a better time.

Facing Maya O’Brien of Orangeburg in the finals, and with the match still very close at 5-4 in the first set, the pair engaged in a lengthy 50 stroke rally, with Tobia outlasting her opponent and eventually coming out on top of. The point seemed to energize Tobia, who never looked back and only got stronger as the match bore on, ultimately winning the title with a 6-4, 6-3 victory.

“I got a lot more charged up after winning the first set,” said Tobia, who will enter the seventh grade at The Annunciation School in Crestwood this fall. “I just wanted to stick with the game plan that I had out there and try my best the whole way through.”

After losing the first set, O’Brien began to take more risks on her shots and chased winners early on in rallies. While that resulted in some flashy winners, it also led to several unforced errors on her part, including a double fault that gave Tobia a 3-1 lead and a pair of forehand errors that set the Tuckahoe native up with a 4-1 advantage.

On the back of a strong defensive game, Tobia continuously tracked down O’Brien's seemingly irretrievable shots from the baseline, looping them high in the air and onto the court to bring the point back to a neutral position. Some stellar serving by Tobia gave her a 5-2 lead in the closing chapters of the game, and a forehand sent long from O’Brien two games later wrapped up the match.

The BJKNTC Junior Tennis Classic Championships were held at the USTA National Tennis Center, which also plays host to the US Open every summer. Tobia was treated to a US Open-esque experience, as she played on the very same courts as the pros and her games were refereed by officials who commonly work US Open matches.

“It was a cool experience, but then a bunch of the kids from the summer camp here came to watch our match and I started to get nervous,” said Tobia. “I was relieved that they left after a couple of games.”

The weekend was also a breakthrough tournament for Tobia, who despite regularly competing in Level 1 USTA events like the one held this week in Flushing — classified as among the highest level tournaments in the region — she had never before gotten past the first round. After Monday's win in the Girls 12-and-under finals, Tobia credited the hard work she has been putting in with her coaches at Concordia College, Brian Simunyula and John Gerardi, for helping her take her game to the next level.

“I think I’ve finally just become more consistent this week, which obviously helps a lot,” said Tobia. “My serve and backhand have definitely improved as well.

With Tobia scheduled to play several other Level 1 tournaments this summer, she is hoping that this week's title will be the start of something big in her young tennis career.

“Winning my first title at this level is really exciting for me and now I think I can win more of them,” said Tobia. “I have a lot more confidence and courage now.”