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05/12/2016 12:00 AMIt’s one thing to rifle an accurate backhand or show a little finesse by landing a lob shot on the tennis court, but another key aspect is the mental game and staying composed through long, grueling matches. This is something that Dave Amendola has become well-versed in throughout his ascent up the singles ladder with the Westbrook boys’ tennis squad.
Dave, a junior who also plays basketball for the Knights, was introduced to tennis by being a practice partner for his older sister Taylor and he quickly developed a passion for the sport. Dave has used that same fire to have a breakout campaign with Westbrook this spring as he rose to the No. 2 singles spot and jumped out to a 7-3 start for a team that’s 9-3. He’s also one of Knights’ tri-captains.
“A lot of the success is due to my mental toughness on the court when it comes to finishing games and sets,” says Dave. “Having [first-year Head Coach] Dan Shapiro as a coach has also helped a lot as he knows me from basketball. It helps make things a lot easier in terms of focusing and playing to my full potential.”
Shapiro, who’s also an assistant coach with Westbrook boys’ hoops, says that Dave has benefited from perfecting certain weapons in his arsenal. He adds that Dave is a hard-working, stand-up young man.
“Dave has improved so much this season. He’s much more mentally strong and he’s using his big forehand to his advantage. At No. 2 singles, the competition is very tough, but he’s done a good job of remaining focused and helping our team win big matches,” Shapiro says. “I coached Dave as a freshman basketball player and it’s nice to see that he is finally starting to understand that he can be a really good tennis player and a really good basketball player. He’s one of the few players who is actually better than he thinks he is in both sports, and, when he finally understands that, his potential is limitless. Dave is a terrific young man. He’s smart, fun, and understands the role of sports in high school. His parents and sisters are extremely supportive of him. He’s headed for big things because he works hard and has a good perspective on life.”
One of Dave’s greatest strengths on the court is his forehand. Dave feels that runs in the family and has proved a crucial component in his success.
“I learned most of my shots from my sister and I feel my forehand is my biggest threat. I use it to help me win points with shots down the line,” says Dave. “Playing at No. 2 makes me a better player because this is my first year playing this high in the lineup, plus I get to see some strong competition.”
Dave, who likes sizing up his opponents before a match, has posted his fair share of victories this spring, but he’s also shown how much he’s improved in defeat. Dave recently faced an adversary from Cromwell who had shut him out last year and he gave him a run for his money this time around.
“Warming up, I try to look at my opponent’s strengths and weaknesses. It’s easy to get frustrated, so I just take things point by point and learn from mistakes,” Dave says. “I played the same kid against Cromwell that I did last season, when he beat me 6-0, 6-0. So I really wanted it bad this time this year. I lost 4-6, 4-6, but it was a huge improvement from last season.”
Dave realizes that Westbrook is in the mix with the Shoreline Conference heavyweights this season. For the rest of the campaign, he wants his Knights to keep plugging away at all opponents, while maintaining a tight-knit group.
“Our big goal is to beat the top two teams in our league in Old Saybrook and Old Lyme. We lost to Old Lyme 4-3 the first time, so the second meeting is a big one,” says Dave, who thanks all of his Westbrook coaches. “We are very close as a team and we just want to beat the teams we should beat and then also hang with those top-tier teams.”