Butler player goes national

Butler player goes national
Tornado senior Slamecka takes part in USTA tournaments

BUTLER TWP — Matt Slamecka didn't get the results he wanted, but he got the experience he needed.
The Butler senior tennis player recently returned from Arizona, where he competed in a pair of U.S. Tennis Association national junior tournaments.
Slamecka played in the USTA Winter National Championships in Scottsdale Dec. 27 through Jan. 1 and in The Copper Bowl in Tucson earlier this week. The former event is designed to include the top 128 18-year-old male players in the country.
"I don't carry that ranking, but I got in as an alternate," Slamecka said. "That was a Level 1 tournament. You can't go any higher."
Slamecka missed a few months of competition last year with a torn ligament in his elbow, but he played for the Golden Tornado team in the spring. He reached the WPIAL finals, where he lost to Jay Jones of Upper St. Clair.
"The time off hurt my (national) ranking. It got knocked down to 500 or so," Slamecka said. "But I was able to maintain a ranking around 15 in the (USTA) Middle States, and that's what got me in."
Slamecka dropped a 7-5, 6-3 decision to Hunter Nicholas of Irvine, Calif., in the first round of the Winter Nationals. He suffered a 6-1, 6-3 loss to Andrew Scholnick of Winnetka, Ill., in the consolation round.
Slamecka played one doubles match, and his tandem dropped a 6-1, 6-2 decision to a Southern California duo.
In the Copper Bowl, a Level 3 USTA national tournament, Slamecka was leading James Carr 6-3, 3-0 when Carr retired due to injury. Slamecka then lost to Shogo Shimizu of Ojai, Calif., 6-0, 6-3 in the next round.
"I didn't play well out there at all. I had trouble adjusting," Slamecka said.
Both events in Arizona were played outdoors. Other than high school tennis, Slamecka is primarily an indoor tournament player.
"He was playing against top-level guys from Texas, Florida, California — those kids play outdoor tennis all year round," Butler High coach Dave Hartzell said. "That's a huge advantage for them."
Slamecka said he had problems with a contact lens in Tucson.
"I had no depth perception at all," he said. "I played a couple of matches out there at night. ... I've played tennis under the lights outside maybe two or three times in my life."
Adjusting to the glare of the sun and controlling his shot outdoors factored against him as well.
"Adjusting to playing outside against high-caliber players was tougher than I thought it'd be," Slamecka said. "I hit a flat ball that's harder to keep in play outside. It tends to sail more outdoors.
"Just getting a chance to compete in events like those will help me, though. I want to play major college tennis and I needed to see that level of competition."
Connecticut, Air Force and Allegheny are among the schools looking at Slamecka.
Hartzell said he believes other suitors are coming.
"He's slipping through the cracks right now because of that injury," the coach said. "Matt's best tennis is ahead of him. He's tall and lean and gets to the ball quickly.
"His best attribute is he doesn't like to lose. A lot of players have the strokes, but not the heart. He battles out there."
Hartzell figures on Slamecka being a WPIAL contender again, though Chris Mengel, ranked No. 10 nationally, plans to return to Shady Side Academy after spending a year in Florida. Mengel is headed to the University of North Carolina on a tennis scholarship.
"He may get in Matt's way. But, again, the competition is good for him," Hartzell said.
Slamecka plans to play in three or more tournaments before the spring high school season begins, including the USTA Indoor Nationals in Cincinnati next month.