Local tennis player makes his mark on historic tournament

December 23, 2014 · 0 Comments

King City’s Christian Lakoseljac took the doubles title at the recent Orange?Bowl International Tennis Championships.

It was just the right mixture of athleticism and fate for King City’s Christian Lakoseljac in the Orange Bowl International Tennis Championships earlier this month.
He walked away the winner of the U16 boys’ doubles tournament in Florida, along with partner Basil Khuma of India.
Ranked in the top 750 in the world, he was sixth on the list to compete in the tournament heading in, meaning a berth in the qualifications. For amateur tennis players, it can be hard to measure your progression before you reach world ranking, but if you’re wondering ‘what is my tennis rating‘ you can take a quick quiz to find out what level you are at. After driving down and signing in, six competitors pulled out that day to put Lakoseljac into the main draw.
It was fate that brought together the doubles pair the night before the opener, as Lakoseljac was hanging out with a friend one floor up from Khuma.
Taking the elevator, they happened to walk by Khuma among a group, where Lakoseljac’s friend suggested the two pair up.
“Everyone’s been telling me it’s fate.”
The competition was tough from the get-go, as the pair took on the number-five seed in the first round.
“It was really strong,” said Lakoseljac. “It’s all the best kids in the world my age. Most of them are already pretty big and strong, I’ve got to catch up and work hard.”
Their quarter-final matchup was against the team that won the Eddie Herr International Championship just the week before, also in Florida.
After disposing of three seeded pairs on the way to the final, Lakoseljac and Khuma took the championship in straight sets.
Lakoseljac first picked up a racket at the age of four, competing in his first tournament just two years later.
By the time he was 12, he was finding tennis success nationally, making the decision to quit hockey to focus on the sport.
One of the most prestigious junior tennis tournaments in the world, the Orange Bowl has long been a “who’s who” of some of the biggest names in tennis, including the likes of Andre Agassi, Steffi Graf, Andy Roddick, and Roger Federer … a major influence on Lakoseljac’s career.
“I really enjoy watching him play,” said Lakoseljac. “I love his attitude. His on-court game is just fun to watch.”
After adding his name to the star-studded list, Lakoseljac has no plans of slowing down. He’s back on the court for a tournament after Christmas, before the season really picks up for a number of selection matches, provincials, and even some ITF events.
“As soon as the new year hits, it’ll really be starting to pick up.”