Patience Makes Perfect for Exon

As the wind howled louder and the tennis ball began to dance, temperamental Woodbridge High senior Chase Exon appeared ready to blow up and out of the Easter Bowl junior tennis tournament.

After a wind-induced unforced error, Exon tossed his racket into the wind and proclaimed, “This isn’t tennis!”

It wasn’t the kind of tennis Exon normally plays in calm conditions, but it was tennis. And once Exon calmed down, he played it very well--surprising his coach and perhaps himself with a 5-7, 6-3, 7-5 victory over Mardy Fish of Wesley Chapel, Fla., Monday in the third round of the boys’ 18 division at Riviera Resort and Racquet Club.

“So many times I’ve let my anger get the best of me,” said Exon, who is seeded eighth. “But I’m trying to stay in a positive mind-set. I knew I didn’t want to over-hit this match.”

Mark Kaplan, Exon’s private coach, said he wouldn’t have believed Exon’s composure if he hadn’t seen it himself.

“I was surprised, because he’s usually a guy who needs a ball that’s sitting, not blowing around,” Kaplan said. “He needs to set up for his shot and he wasn’t able to do that with the wind. But sometimes it’s good when there’s a change, even when it’s not to your strength.”

The change came early in the second set, when the desert breeze turned into 20- to 30-mph gusts. Initially, the windy conditions seemed to favor Fish. But with the score tied, 3-3, in the second set, Fish started to commit unforced errors and began to let his emotions get the better of him. Exon won the next three games, and the second set, 6-3.

Fish and Exon were tied at five games, but Exon broke Fish easily and went ahead, 6-5. Instead of trying for the big shot, Exon stayed patient and allowed Fish to make the errors. After going up, 40-0, Exon let Fish back in the match with three loose points. But he finished off Fish with a forehand winner crosscourt and a stretching forehand volley winner. One of the rare points Exon won at net.

“Chase was very resilient,” Kaplan said. “He was up and he let it go. But he didn’t just snap. That’s where he’s matured.”

Exon, who has signed with Pepperdine, will play 16th-seeded Ryan Haviland of Sumter, S.C., in today’s round of 16.

“The way Chase is playing now, I think he could win it,” Kaplan said.

David Lingman, a junior at Woodbridge, lost to second-seeded David Martin of Key Biscayne, Fla., 6-4, 6-1.

In the boys’ 14 division, Irvine’s Aaron Yovan lost to third-seeded Josh Cohen of Philadelphia, 6-1, 6-1.