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Sports

Whiz Kid: Francis Tiafoe

Meet Francis Tiafoe, this week's Whiz Kid.

Each week, the College Park Patch will feature one Whiz Kid who has made a difference in the community. This week's Whiz Kid is Francis Tiafoe.

Name: Francis Tiafoe

Age: 14

Grade: 8th

School: Junior Tennis Champions Center (Online School), Spring Lake Elementary up until 6th grade.

Accomplishment: In addition to being ranked No. 7 in the country for the Boys 14-and-under division, this tennis champion was recently invited to Tarbes, France, to compete in the Les Petits As tournament, considered to be the biggest tournament in the world for 14-and-under players. Unseeded in the draw, Tiafoe knocked off the No. 7 seed, Michael Dembek of Poland, and made it all the way to the semifinals.

“The tournament was a great experience and I thought that I played really well,” said Tiafoe. “It was good to be there because I could see the difference in the international players wasn’t that they hit the ball harder or better, but that they want to win a lot more than most American players. They concentrate harder and fight for every point.”

Key to Awesomeness: Tennis runs in Tiafoe’s family. He was introduced to the sport at the age of 8 by his father, who has helped run JTCC for the last 11 years. In addition, Tiafoe has been working extensively with coach Mischa Kuznetsov at the JTCC, and his results have improved dramatically under his tutelage.

Kuznetsov also primarily travels with Tiafoe when he competes in tournaments. The pair spend roughly 20-25 weeks a year competing in some of the biggest national and international junior tournaments.

Despite the strong progress Tiafoe has made on the court, don’t expect this junior champion to become complacent anytime soon.

“I’m working hard day in and day out,” said Tiafoe. “I want to be No. 1 in the world.”

Do you know a Whiz Kid? Email laurene@patch.com

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