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34 Sports Oakville Beaver SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 255) Fax 905-337-5567 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com · FRIDAY, AUGUST 4, 2006 Youngster aiming for professional tennis career Nine-year-old Charlotte Petrick hopes to be world's best by 2014 By Jon Kuiperij BEAVER SPORTS EDITOR BARRIE ERSKINE / OAKVILLE BEAVER HIGH HOPES: Charlotte Petrick, pictured practicing Wednesday at Bronte Tennis Club, won the prestigious International Tennis Hall of Fame junior tournament last weekend in Rhode Island. The nine-year-old wants to be the best female tennis player in the world by 2014. Hurd, Russell to compete at Pan Pacs Oakville Aquatic Club (OAK) prod- tenth of a second. uct Andrew Hurd and Dolphins Swim Russell swam a personal-best time Club member Colin Russell both qual- to earn bronze in the 200m freestyle, ified for the upcoming Pan also finishing sixth in the Pacific Games with medal100m free. The Dolphins winning efforts at last weekSwim Club is based out of end's senior national swim both Oakville and Barrie. meet in Montreal. The Pan Pacific Games The 23-year-old Hurd, a will be held in Vancouver the two-time Olympian, won second week of August. Hurd gold in both the 200-metre and Russell are expected to and 400m freestyle events. swim together in the men's Now a member of the 4x200m freestyle relay, in Andrew Hurd Toronto Swim Club, Hurd addition to their individual easily won the 400m race, finishing events. nearly five seconds ahead of the secMeanwhile, OAK swimmers Laura ond-place competitor. In the 200m Pomeroy, Cam Cummings and Zack event, he had to overtake Russell and Chetrat all qualified for at least one Rick Say down the stretch to win by a final at the senior nationals, which also served as trials for the Pan Pacific Games. The 19-year-old Pomeroy was OAK's top finisher, placing 10th in the women's 50-metre freestyle. Cummings, 17, finished 14th in the men's 400m individual medley and 16th in the men's 200m backstroke, while Chetrat, 15, placed 15th in the men's 200m butterfly with a clubrecord time. Chetrat's time also ranked him first in 200m butterfly amongst 15-year-olds in the country. OAK head coach Christy Yaremczuk was particularly pleased with the performances of Cummings and Chetrat, both competing at the senior national level for the first time. hile most children her age were trying to beat the heat this week, Charlotte Petrick was busy working up a sweat at Bronte Tennis Club. Such is life for the local nine-year-old, who aspires to become the best female tennis player in the world by the time she's 17. Recently back from a nine-month stint at the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Florida, where she will return again this fall, Charlotte trains on-court six days a week and spends five days a week working on strength and conditioning. All that work seems to be paying off. Charlotte has won a number of under-10 tournaments, both in Canada and south of the border, including the prestigious International Tennis Hall of Fame junior tournament last "We have to get her faster and weekend in Rhode Island. Charlotte, a last-minute entry stronger to be when one of the alternate players able to stay in for the event didn't show up, did longer rallies." not lose a single set during the five-round competition, easily Frank Petrick downing the tournament's top seed in her opening match. "I was really good at it because of my serve," Charlotte said of playing on the grass courts of the Newport Rhode Island Casino, the world's oldest active tournament grounds and host of the inaugural U.S. Championships in 1881. The youngster, who has had her serve measured at 70 miles per hour, also competed in the under-14 division of the Hall of Fame tournament, winning her opening match before bowing out in the second round. Most of the competitors in the under-14 division towered over Charlotte. "One girl was taller than my dad," she said with a smile, taking a break from practice Wednesday at Bronte. But Frank Petrick, Charlotte's 5-foot-11 father and fitness coach, saw the benefits of playing older, stronger competitors. "If you're constantly winning 6-0, 6-0, for us to drill the good technique gets hard," said Frank, whose employer and friend, Mike Fronteddu of Trattoria Il Timone Ristorante, sponsored Charlotte's trip to Rhode Island. "We have to get her faster and stronger to be able to stay in longer rallies with the bigger kids. That will help her down the road." Charlotte is also coached by her mother, Colleen, who focuses on the technical part of Charlotte's game during the summer months. Both Colleen and Frank are tennis fanatics, having met while playing the sport and eventually getting married on a hardcourt. "We'd wheel the baby stroller out and, when (Charlotte's) head popped up, we knew the game was over," Frank laughed, referring to the couple's games W See OAK page 36 See Petrick page 35 CANLAN ICE SPORTS ­ OAKVILLE · SUMMER HOCKEY CAMPS & MULTI-SPORT CAMPS · MULTIPLE WEEK & MULTIPLE SKATER DISCOUNTS · VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR WEEKLY OFFERINGS REGISTER TODAY 905-845-6989 www.icesports.com