Sports
Ardito Advances at West Side Tennis Championships
Rockville Centre native moves into second round with 6-4, 6-1 win.
It’s typically hard to ask a teenager to draw from their experiences, but Rockville Centre’s Christian Ardito did just that in his recent opening round match at the West Side Tennis Championships.
Competing in the 14-and-under division at the West Side Tennis Championships in Forest Hills, Ardito started off slowly, but gradually gained control of his shots and dictated the rallies throughout the match, advancing with a 6-4 6-1 win over Jonathan Moifetta of Howard Beach.
“I play about 25 tournaments a year, so I’m used to these types of matches,” said Ardito, who is currently an eighth grader at South Side Middle School.
Find out what's happening in Rockville Centrewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Both players struggled to adapt to the slower clay courts in the beginning of the match before settling into a series of extended baseline rallies. Despite making some mistakes at inopportune times, Ardito dictated the rallies throughout the match, taking a 3-1 lead in the first set and holding the momentum all the way through the rest of the opening set.
The second set was one-way traffic for Ardito. Flustered in the hot conditions, Moifetta started to go for winners off low percentage shots in the rallies, resulting in numerous unforced errors. The Rockville Centre native stormed out to a 4-0 lead in the second, wrapping up the match on his first match point with a strong forehand drive.
Find out what's happening in Rockville Centrewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Despite the win, Ardito said he will have to pick up his game considerably for his next match against No. 1 seed Felipe Osses-Konig of Rego Park.
"I'll need to be way more consistent playing against somebody as good as he is," Ardito said.
Staying consistent throughout a long match is something that Ardito said he has been working on extensively with his coach, Nikola Hubernova, who was formerly ranked among the top 15 juniors in the world.
In addition, she has been working with Ardito on becoming match tough and remaining calm during tight situations.
"I used to throw my racket a lot," said Ardito with a smile. "She definitely wasn't OK with that."
To follow Ardito's progress, visit the tournament drawsheet.
