Westport tennis preview: Young team sparked by seventh grader

Seventh grader Evan Kidd remains unbeaten at one singles

Photos and story by Richard W Dionne Jr
Posted 5/9/18

The Westport High School tennis team lost their match to Fairhaven 2-3 on Friday afternoon. The Wildcats are now 3-4 overall and are 1-3 in the May Flower League.

While the team is struggling in …

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Westport tennis preview: Young team sparked by seventh grader

Seventh grader Evan Kidd remains unbeaten at one singles

Posted

The Westport High School tennis team lost their match to Fairhaven 2-3 on Friday afternoon. The Wildcats are now 3-4 overall and are 1-3 in the May Flower League.

While the team is struggling in a rebuilding year, Seventh grader Evan Kidd, their number one player has gone undefeated with a 6-0 record.

“It’s Evan’s first year on the team. He’s a very good player,” said Head Coach Tom Clark. “He takes lessons and is very dedicated. He has great fundamentals and he’s only going to get better. If he has a disadvantage, it’s that he doesn’t have the height yet. But he’ll grow into that.”

Evan’s mom Julie Feliz-Kidd and dad, Robert Kidd are both trial lawyers. Neither have played a lick of tennis.

“We don’t have a lot of tennis in our genes,” Evan said.

At age ten, Evan was introduced to the game by his uncle, Sam Sutter, former district attorney and mayor of Fall River and also a highly skilled tennis player. His father Cliff played at Wimbledon in the 1930s.

“He has a passion for the game, despite his size,” said Mrs. Kidd.

Evan trains at Center Court in East Providence 4-5 times a week with tennis pro Mario Llano. He plays in USTA tournaments on Saturdays.

“This year he tried out for the high school team and quickly took the number one spot as a thirteen year-old seventh grader,” said Mrs. Kidd.

“He’s beat seniors, juniors, sophomores and freshmen,” said coach Clark. “Evan is competitive. He’s very intense, maybe too intense sometimes. But that’s part of being a young man. I’m impressed by him and happy to have him on the team,” he said.

Evan is a student of the game. He studies other players and skills on youtube.

“I really like to challenge myself,” said Evan. “I have skills and shots that I have mastered and work harder at the skills and shots that I haven’t mastered. That’s kind of where I get that intensity.”

“He’s small, but he’s a force to be reckoned with,” said Mrs. Kidd. “He has been taught to never give up.”

Earlier this year, Evan played a senior at Coyle Cassidy and won, said Mrs. Kidd. “The student became very emotional after losing to a seventh grader. I told Evan that I felt bad and he said ‘No mercy.’”

The team

Two player Brendan Martin plays multiple sports at Westport.

“His big sport is golf,” said coach Clark. “He’s a terrific young man and takes coaching well. He doesn’t complain. He’s streaky, but he’s a good tennis player.”

Three player sophomore Alex Raposa is a good all around athlete according to coach Clark. “He hits the ball very well. Alex is the last of a line of Raposa brothers that all have played tennis.”

The one doubles team of Smit Patel and Mikyle Couto are good players but lack experience, said coach Clark. “They were up in this match, but they let up and let their opponents back in the match,” he said. “Don’t lose that killer instinct. Don’t let up because your way ahead. It’s like that in any sport and they need to learn that.”

“We have a young team and they are getting better all of the time. This is a rebuilding year. We aren’t doing badly and should reach the playoffs. This is good experience. We get better every match,” said coach Clark.

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