By Tom Flanagan
LEXINGTON, MA – Each time Ben Tso stepped on a tennis court this summer, his focus was on getting better.
Tso certainly did that, improving every aspect of his game and establishing himself as one of the best 14-year-old players in New England and in the country along the way.
Tso raised his profile and the eyebrows of the tennis community after a summer during which he emerged as the winner at the USTA National Championships in San Antonio.
Tso, a resident of Lexington, MA and a freshman at Lexington High School, was the event’s top seed and grinded out an impressive 7-6(6), 7-5 win over Henrik Wiresholm of Kirkland, WA in the championship match.
"Before the tournament, my coach and I had set a goal to win it," Tso said. "After making it through to the final, I was a little bit nervous. I was just really glad it was a morning match because it was over 100 degrees every day in San Antonio."
Tso, currently the No. 1-ranked 14-year-old in New England and No. 2 in the nation, is coached by Jeff Bearup at the New England Tennis Academy in Natick.
"I knew a lot of the kids at the Nationals, so I knew that I could compete with them," Tso said. "Winning it was very exciting and it was great for my confidence."
Tso, whose tennis career began when his mother took him to a clinic as a 4 year old, has the luxury of competing often against another great junior player, Needham, MA resident Aaron Revzin.
Revzin, currently the No. 2-ranked 16-year-old in New England, is also coached by Bearup.
"Aaron and I have been playing against each other and training together quite a bit, especially over the last few months," said Tso, who will begin playing in the 16s after he turns 15 in October. "I think we’ve helped each other get a lot better and it’s great to have someone like Aaron to compete with and learn from."
Tso, who models the mental aspect of his game after Rafael Nadal, nearly bagged a second national title over the summer, when he reached the championship match of the National Clay Courts in Florida.
Tso, who plans to play for his high school team in the spring, will take the national stage again in late December when he travels to Arizona to take part in the USTA National Winter Championships in the 16s.