High school tennis

Little Rock Central senior Jake Maxson advanced to today’s semifinal round with a 6-1, 6-4, victory over Fayetteville freshman Jacob Nordin in the Class 6A tennis state tournament. State tournament coverage,

High expectations usually arrive hand-in-hand with pressure.

That was the case for Little Rock Central senior Jake Maxson in the quarterfinal round of the Class 6A state tennis championships at Rebsamen Tennis Center in Little Rock on Monday. Maxson, the tournament’s top- seeded boy, advanced to today’s semifinal round with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Fayetteville freshman Jacob Nordin.

The semifinal and final rounds are scheduled for today. Maxson will play in the semifinals against Little Rock Catholic’s Isaiah Bordador, a 6-0, 6-1 quarterfinal winner over Neil Chatlani of Rogers.

Maxson said he knew he would play as a significant favorite against Nordin, knowledge he said affected him as his opponent returned from an 0-2 second-set deficit to a 4-4 tie.

“I didn’t feel 100% today, but he created some offense, for sure,” Maxson said. “It’s just a little tough playing against a freshman. I mean,

I’m a senior, he’s a freshman. I’m expected to beat him, and that put some pressure on me. It got in my head a little bit.”

He said he was impressed by Nordin’s game.

“He’s a good player,” Maxson said. “Ultimately, I had to just stick to my game plan, and thankfully I came out on top.”

Maxson won eight of the match’s first nine games. Nordin said superior play explained Maxson’s early dominance. He also said he thought a psychological adjustment helped him pull even in the second set.

“The first set, I was getting tense, rushing it,” Nordin said. “I was looking at him like he was a lot better than me, like he’s the one seed and everything.

“The second set, I was a lot more calm. I started hitting my normal shots, using a lot more variety, and that really helped me.”

Nordin said his longterm tennis goals include a chance to play college tennis.

“I would definitely like to play at a smaller [NCAA Division I school],” he said.

Maxson, who said the possibility of a career in politics appeals to him, is unsure about his tennis future.

“I get asked a lot about playing college tennis, and I’m a little bit on the fence now about it,” Maxson said. “There are times when I play high school tennis, and it’s just not that much fun to have that much pressure on you.”

Bragging rights around the Maxson household are on the line. His brother, Andrew Maxson, won the 2018 Class 6A singles championship for Little Rock Central.

“This would be a big accomplishment for me,” Maxson said. “I’ve been thinking about it my whole life, winning this tournament. My brother came up real clutch two years ago as a big underdog, and I have to stay focused. This is not the time for a slip-up.”

Nordin said Maxson’s strengths present a difficult challenge.

“He has a lot of variety,” Nordin said. “He can hit a deep ball. He can hit a very hard ball and then a really loopy ball that can get you back, and he can sneak into the net very easily.”