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© St. Petersburg Times, published July 17, 2002
It's hard to hold back Anthony Barrancotto.
He displays an intensity uncommon for a player just 9.
"He's single-minded when it comes to tennis," said Sam Vuille, St.Petersburg Country Club's tennis director. "Anthony is a very talented athlete, and he wallops the ball pretty hard for someone his age."
Vuille has worked with Barrancotto, and is impressed with his ability to place spin and slice on the ball.
Plus, there is the youngster's success in tournament play. In the past six state-sanctioned singles competitions, Barrancotto has won four 10-and-under titles and finished second in two others.
"I actually try to hold him back and definitely don't want to push him," said his father, Jim. "Mainly, I want him to have fun."
Unlike his son, Jim Barrancotto didn't begin the sport seriously until he was about 13. He went on to be ranked in the state's top 10 in the 30-and-over division. Barrancotto taught with the late Australian coach Harry Hopman when Hopman's academy was in Treasure Island in the 1970s.
"I really got into tennis when I was about 18 and began teaching at 19," Barrancotto said. "So tennis might be in Anthony's genes. I admit, I did have some tennis toys for him when he was real young."
Young Barrancotto says he started getting into the game when he use to follow his older sister, Jeana, to matches.
"I like running and think I'm pretty quick around the court," Barrancotto said. "I'll come to the net if I've got a good shot. My favorite is a forehand crosscourt angle to finish the point."
Barrancotto employed that strategy last weekend in the July Spectacular Super Series at Seminole Lake Tennis Center.
Seeded second in the 10 class, he advanced to the final Monday to face Bollettieri Academy player James Rossini. After losing the first set 4-6, Barrancotto rallied for a victory.
"I hadn't played him before, so I was using the warmup to try to figure out his game," Barrancotto said. "He was using his drop shot and good groundies in that first set, then I started drawing him into the net with a drop shot and hitting the ball over his head."
For about the past month, Barrancotto has trained at the Tournament Players Academy at the Racquet Club in St.Petersburg. TPA director John Haggar likes what he sees.
"Anthony's got a lot of talent and is an extremely crafty player," Haggar said. "I expect to see him compete for the top spot in the 10s next year."
When Barrancotto isn't practicing or playing in a tourney, he often can be found hitting a ball against a wall. "I don't know if I will play professional tennis, but I know I like playing and competing now," Barrancotto said.
JUNIORS SELECTED: Morgan Basil, Alexandra Cercone, William Dixon, Chris Gupta and Austin Krajicek will be among the 12-and-under players in the USTA Zone Team Championships, Monday-July 27 in Nashville, Tenn. Maria Cercone and Kevin Quay are the coaches. The championships for the 16 division are Tuesday-July 28 in Winston-Salem, N.C. Among the competitors will be Monica Sly and Stephen Segura.
SOUTH PINELLAS: Feather Sound Country Club broke a tie with the St. Petersburg Country Club Smashers, capturing the 3.5-4.0 title in the South Pinellas Ladies Doubles League. Last week, the teams each had 12 points. Two three-set matches clinched Feather Sound's championship. Karen Augustine and captain Carol Stowasser (No.1) and Ann Thompson and Cherie Haigley rebounded from first-set losses to win in three.
USA LEAGUE: Local adult champions begin west regional competition Friday in Longboat Key. In all, 26 women's teams and 23 men's squads will play through Sunday for a berth in next month's state tournament in Daytona Beach. Among the women are Feather Sound 3.0, McMullen 3.0 and 4.5 and PGTA's 4.0. On the men's side is TI Rec 3.5, Seminole Lake Tennis Center's 4.0 team, PGTA's 5.0 and McMullen 3.0 and 4.5.
NET NOTES: Renaissance Vinoy teaching professional Gewan Maharaj was named Florida's USPTA Player of the Year in the men's 45-and-over division. ... In this month's USTA Zone Team competition for juniors 14-and-under, Christina Liles was on the girls first-place team and Nicholas Berning was a member of the winning boys squad. ... Ariana Zayac was the runner-up in the Summer Junior Classic at Royal Racquet Club, Katie Ossenmacher won the girls 12 consolation crown and Thomas Holdstein was the boys 12 consolation finalist. ... Kara Kucin won the girls 10 division and Phillip Barlow the 14 class in last weekend's July Spectacular Super Series at Seminole Lake Tennis Center. Kucin posted a 6-0, 6-1 victory in the final, and top-seed Barlow won 6-0, 6-0. Stephen Segura was to play a rain-delayed 16 title match.
COMING UP: The Hot, Hot Junior Championships are Saturday-Monday at East Lake Woodlands. For information, call 785-2212. ... The Bardmoor Rookie, for junior singles players, is July 27-28 at Bardmoor Golf and Tennis Club. To enter, call 391-2205, ext. 2. ... The Summer Classic Too, for junior singles competitors, is July 27-29 at Phil Green Tennis Academy in Safety Harbor. Call 724-7729. ... Call Temple Terrace Recreation Department, (813) 989-7178, to enter the July 26-28 Adult Classic.