District tennis tournaments
When: Thursday,
May 17 and Saturday, May 19
Time: 9 a.m.
Division I
Where: ATP Tennis Center, Mason
State qualifiers: Top four singles and doubles
Division II
Where: Centerville High School
State qualifiers: Top five singles and doubles
Information and brackets: www.swdab.org
Chaminade Julienne senior Andrew Bole has answered two questions more times than he can count — “how tall are you?” and “do you play basketball?”
The sectional tennis champion stands out in a crowd and not just for athletic ability. At close to 6-foot-7 with conspicuously red hair, Bole, who was dubbed “Big Red” a few years ago, is hard to miss.
“Most people know me as the tall red-head kid,” Bole said. “It doesn’t really bother me, I know I’ll never blend in.”
And when it comes to tennis, he wouldn’t want to be one of the crowd. Bole, who quit playing basketball more than a year ago to focus on tennis, has posted a 25-2 record this season and has 92 career singles wins with the Eagles.
He became the first ever CJ boys sectional tennis champion last weekend and goes into today’s Division II district tournament as a No. 1 seed. He will face Blanchester’s Daniel Fugett in the first round at Centerville High School today.
Bole, 18, has his sights set on a trip to state. He qualified as a sophomore but fell short last year after withdrawing from the district tournament with an injury. The CJ senior was plagued by nagging injuries and self doubt after last season.
“He went through a rough period but he was able to put it all behind him,” CJ tennis coach Jim Brooks said. “He’s in a good spot mentally and physically right now. He is a kid with unlimited potential and he is really realizing that this season.”
In addition to undergoing physical therapy, Bole, who recently committed to play tennis at Grand Valley State next year, has changed key aspects of his game in the off-season. He also added a new weapon — a much improved net game.
“I’ve seen him become more of an all-court player,” Brooks said. “His serve and forehand can really set him up to finish points at the net.”
And his sheer size is also part of his arsenal.
“It’s probably pretty scary seeing someone as big as I am running to the net at full speed,” Bole said with a smile.
Tennis has been a family affair for Bole as his older brother and sister both played as did his parents.
“I started going with my dad and my sister when they’d hit when I was about 4,” he said. “It’s the only time in my life the racket was bigger than I was.”
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