Netters in top form
Beach tennis teens hope to continue doubles success in Barcelona
Local beach tennis teens ready for international showcase.
For Megan Horwitz and Karla Mendez, the big trip has arrived.
The beach tennis standouts are taking their talents to Barcelona, Spain, as they compete in the International Federation of Beach Tennis Beach Tennis World Championships June 25-28.
The 16-year-olds from Pembroke Pines and Miramar, respectively, will represent the United States in the Women’s Pro Open Doubles Division. They prepped for the competition by participating in the recent Deerfield Beach World Cup Beach Tennis tournament.
The duo had previously qualified for the showcase in Spain by winning a St. Patrick’s Day beach tennis event in Pompano Beach.
“It is very cool and very exciting,” said Horwitz, who is embarking on her first international trip. “I have never been that far before in my whole life. Karla and I are going to have an amazing time over there.”
Horwitz, who will enter her junior year at Somerset Academy in the fall, said there was a lot of pressure in winning the Pompano qualifier.
“We didn’t think (the qualifying victory) would happen, and when it did happen, it was unbelievable,” Horwitz said. “Karla and I never knew we would get that good and be partners. We continued to practice hard, and when you do that, good things happen.”
Mendez, an incoming junior at Pembroke Pines Charter High School, is a two-time state qualifier in high school tennis.
“We get to represent our country (in Barcelona), as well as play singles as ourselves and doubles as a team,” she said. “That is really awesome.”
Mendez, who won the district and regional titles in high school for the second consecutive year and reached the state semifinals, said there are significant differences between the beach and regular versions of the sport.
“In the beach game, the sand is really hard (to maneuver in), and you have to take all of the balls out of the air instead of tennis, where you can actually let it bounce,” she said. “There is more court to cover, and here you only get one serve. In (regular) tennis, you get two serves, so you have to make sure that you get all of your serves in.”
Horwitz’s brother, Ryan, who will be an eighth-grader at Somerset Academy, teamed up with Gaspar Cecchi, of Miami, to win the Junior Doubles Division in the Deerfield tournament.
“It doesn’t matter if you win or not as long as you have fun,” Ryan said. “We were just hoping to get a good experience with the sport.”
Coral Springs’ Marie-Pier Huet, 26, started playing beach tennis two weeks before the Deerfield event. Still, she and partner Barbora Jilkova, of Delray Beach, placed third in the Women’s Pro Doubles Division. Huet also tied for third in the Women’s Pro Singles Division.
Adrienne Cerra, president of International Beach Tennis-USA, which co-sponsored the Deerfield Beach play, said there were 250 competitors. The men’s, women’s and junior divisions included singles, doubles and mixed doubles competitions. There also were pro and open divisions.
“We were very pleased with the turnout,” Cerra said. “(Beach tennis) is going to be in the Olympics. We just have to continue to grow the sport. There are people playing all over the world.”