March Hot 100 – James Hill – The Tennis Recruiting Network – Tennis Recruiting

Who’s Hot

Hot 100 List – March 2024

by James Hill, 18 March 2024

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TheLotto Elite Hot 100 lists are published each month, and the March Hot 100 lists feature the 100 boys and girls who most improved their rankings during the month of February. You can find out more about the Lotto Elite Hot 100 – and how the lists are calculated – by reading here.

The latest lists, published today, are available here:

We talked to some of the top performers:

William Hsieh (Saint Cloud, Florida)

William Hsieh (WTN: 14.8) moved up to No. 63 in the Tennis Recruiting Network Boys Rankings, rising from the 83rd position.

The 5-foot-8 right-handed five-star player sported an 11-1 recent singles record. Hsieh, a senior, who is home schooled, turned in excellent performances in Men’s Open singles at two Battle of Boca tournaments in Boca Raton, Florida. He won the singles championship on February 12, and then advanced to the quarterfinals of the event later in the month.

Five-Star Senior William Hsieh
© Contributed Photo

“I’m hard at work developing my whole game.” Hsieh said. “My good play is simply a product of this work. I put a lot of time into my serve and return, and it’s paid off with starting points better. This is combined with my transition game that’s been helping me finish points. It prevents my opponents from ‘resetting” during baseline rallies, which is truly valuable. I credit these improvements to my coach, Peter MacDonald, as well as the many hitting partners I practice with throughout the week. My coach and hitting guys push me to become better every day.”

MacDonald, Hsieh’s personal coach from Orlando, Florida, is working with Hsieh on his “whole game.” Hsieh said they both see the value of training as an all-court player. A lot of training time is spent on serves, forehand drives, starting points effectively, attacking, and transitioning toward the net.

Hsieh said he practices twice per day, consisting of drills and stroke production in the morning, and match play in the afternoon. He strives to play five-to-10 practice sets each week, depending on his tournament schedule.

“A strength of mine is my ability to understand my opponent’s game style, and to use my strengths against their weaknesses,” Hsieh said. “Technically, I also view my volleys and touch at the net as one of my greatest strengths. I use a one-handed backhand, and consider it a great weapon. I don’t see many one-handers out there. I also consider myself a very persistent guy.”

As to college preference, Hsieh said: “I am keeping my options open.”

At an early age, Hsieh’s mom, Michelle Hsieh, made up her mind that her son could be an athlete. He tried a number of sports, but kept coming back to tennis. His mom searched for coaches and academies, and things took off from there.

“I credit William’s good play to his dedication, coach Peter MacDonald, and his hitting partners,” Hsieh’s mom said. “I see William’s determination to improve, and his coach’s efforts to help him with his dream. He really is a workhorse when it comes to tennis.

“William is unafraid to step it up when he needs to. I see other tennis players shy away in big points, or play it safe in crucial matches. William doesn’t do this. He always wants to play his game, and do things the right way.”

Astrid Kerrman (Edina, Minnesota)

Astrid Kerrman (WTN: 25.0) has attained her highest-ever ranking in the Tennis Recruiting Network Girls Rankings.

The 5-foot-5 right-handed two star moved up to No. 369 from the 443rd position. Producing a 7-4 record, Kerrman was an 18s finalist at two Minnesota events. She reached the finals of the L4 Eden Prairie Lifetime Winter championships and the title match at the L5 Sweet 16 at St. Louis Park tournament.

Two-Star Junior Astrid Kerrman
© John Sherman/Sun Current

“I credit my motivation and drive to succeed. As my game improved significantly in the past months, I have gotten more confident and started to enjoy competing in tournaments more and more” said Kerrman, a junior at Edina High School. “It has become clear to me I want to play at a college level and find the best possible fit for me. This dream drives me to succeed in both tennis and academics.”

Kerrman is co-captain of her Edina Hornets high school team. Last season, she was the Lake Conference Section champion for singles, and qualified to play in the Minnesota state championship as an individual and team member. The Hornets reached the state championship match, while Kerrman has earned all-conference accolades for two years.

Academically, Kerrman became a Dean’s List member as a freshman, after moving from her native Finland. She also has attained above a 4.0 grade point average in her classroom work.

“I would like to play college tennis, and I am academically as driven as I am on the court,” she said. “I would like to play for an academically good college. I also enjoy playing outdoors, so warm weather wouldn’t hurt either.”

Kerrman and her family moved from Finland in 2022. One motivation was the opportunities in sports the US afforded her. She decided to focus on tennis and wanted to “become the best player possible.” At the age of 3, Kerrman’s mom’s friend invited them to join a kids tennis club.

Her dad and mom, Samuli and Johanna Kerrman, are proud of their daughter’s determination to succeed in her chosen sport.

“When Astrid sets her sights on something she wants to achieve, there is no stopping her,” her parents said. “She has realized that now is the time to get her tennis ranking up for college recruiting, which has motivated her to train harder and to play as many tournaments as possible. That has really taken her game and attitude to the next level.”

Kerrman trains with Wyatt McCoy of Lifetime in St. Louis Park, and Nick Dunivant in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She and her coaches are working on how to construct the point and hit winners at the right time. They have also been working on footwork and taking the ball earlier, at shoulder height. Additionally, their goal is to diversify her game and be able to finish more points at the net.

“I have a strong forehand and am able to hit deep angles with both of my groundstrokes,” Kerrman said. “My mental focus and ability to turn the game around is also a strength I have. I can turn the game around in the second set, despite being down in the match.

“I have a background of doing years of gymnastics before focusing on tennis. This gives me an advantage of speed, flexibility, and endurance on the court. I also have a strong work ethic and a drive to succeed in practice.”

Vidyuth Anand (Cupertino, California)

Vidyuth Anand (WTN: 16.0) received his first top-100 ranking in the Tennis Recruiting Network Boys Rankings.

The 6-foot-2 right-handed four star rose to No. 94 from the 117th position, while producing a 5-2 singles record. Anand advanced to the quarterfinals of the 18s L2 Scottsdale (Arizona) Saguaro Shootout, and made the qualifying finals of the ITF J30 event in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

Four-Star Junior Vidyuth Anand
© Contributed Photo

“I have started to work a lot more on my fitness and flexibility,” said Anand, a junior at Fusion Academy. “That was one of the weakest aspects in my game, and has let me down a ton of times in three-set matches. One other major change in my games is moving forward to the net more to take time away from opponents. The higher the level, the more important it is to shorten points down, instead of just grinding from the baseline.”

Anand trains with Evan Hoyt of Eagle Fustar Tennis Academy in Sunnyvale, California; and with Steven Roberts of the Brookside Club. He and his coaches are working to add some speed on the serve to “earn a couple of more free points during matches.”

Anand played on the Cupertino High School boys tennis team his freshman year. He decided to switch schools in order to have a more flexible schedule. However, Anand thoroughly enjoyed his team experience.

“Playing on the team was one of my most memorable experiences,” Anand said. “I made a lot of new friends, and adding the team aspect made it really enjoyable.”

College may be a year away for Anand, but it is definitely on his mind.

“I have started to think more and more about college tennis,” Anand said. “I would like to play Division I tennis at a great academic school, along with a great tennis program.”

Anand played a number of sports when he was younger, including basketball, and decided at the age of 13 to focus on tennis. His dad and mom, Anand Subramanian and Anupama Anand, are definitely pleased with their son’s progress and determination.

“Vid’s focus on fitness has been a key reason for his improvement in the last month,” Anand’s parents said. “Having more endurance for longer rallies has helped in clutch moments. It requires a lot of hard work to be good at this sport, and his fellow tennis players inspire him to get better.”

Reese Frank (Mount Pleasant, South Carolina)

Reese Frank (WTN:18.2) rose in the Tennis Recruiting Network Girls Rankings to the No. 89 position, up from the 105th slot.

The 6-foot right-handed four star sported a recent singles record of 7-1, while winning an 18s tournament along the way. Frank captured the L5 LTP@Daniel Island Tennis Club Junior Championship in Charleston, South Carolina. The high school sophomore (Carolina Connections Academy) defeated Devin Gilroy (Cornelius, North Carolina) in a straight-sets final. In the semifinals, Frank fought her way past Alice Ann Pantsari (Santa Rosa Beach, Florida) 7-6 (6), 6-7 (6), (10-3) to advance to the championship tilt.

Four-Star Sophomore Reese Frank
© Contributed Photo

“We changed my forehand in September of last year and it’s taken a long time to get comfortable with it in match play,” Frank said. “Now I feel like I can really depend on it. I can still hit heavy, and also flatten it out, but it’s simpler and quicker to prepare. I’ve also started to attack more with my second serve.”

Frank’s dad, Mike Frank, is her coach. Dad and daughter are working on her backhand slice, which she transitioned from two hands to one. They are also working on her footwork.

“My game is all about serve and forehand,” Frank said. “I have a big serve and an equally powerful forehand. I’ve been trying to be patient by not flattening out my forehand until I have an opportunity. It’s difficult, because sometimes I know I can crush a ball, but it just isn’t a high enough percentage shot to take.

“My heavy topspin is another strength. From behind the baseline, I can be very disruptive with my heavy forehand. That creates a lot of opportunities where I can come forward. I have a long way to go, but I think I’m progressing.”

Frank and her younger sister, Ellie (age 13), are both coached by their dad. He started coaching them in swimming and track when each turned 4. They transitioned to tennis a couple of years later. Their 10-year-old sister, Keira, recently joined them on the tennis court. Born in Hoboken, New Jersey, Reese Frank began to hone her game when the family moved to South Carolina three years ago.

Frank used to swim at USA Swimming meets, ran track and cross country, participated in triathlons, and played soccer and golf. She also ran 5K’s with her father.

Mike Frank’s wife, Tracey, was a tennis player and actually introduced the sport to her husband. Both parents are more than pleased that their daughter chose to excel in tennis.

“Reese played many other sports at a pretty high level,” her parents said. “She didn’t gravitate to tennis because it was her best sport. She chose it because she absolutely loves it. Last year, she went to every single session of the Charleston Open, and I expect she’ll do the same this year. Also, she has a very calm and level personality.”

Before transferring to Carolina Connections Academy, Frank played her freshman season for Wando High School in Mount Pleasant. She finished third in the Class 4A/5A singles tournament, which featured 32 of the state’s top high school players. Frank earned all-sttate accolades by the South Carolina High School League.

Frank has a couple of years to go, but playing college tennis is definitely on her mind.

“I would really like to play tennis in college,” Frank said. “I’m self-motivated with school and tennis, so I think I can do the work. We’ve visited some amazing campuses and I can’t wait to learn more about college programs by talking to coaches when I’m able. Charleston is also a big college town. I’ve been to many matches at Charleston Southern and College of Charleston.”

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About James Hill

James Hill is the Assistant Sports Information Director at Trinity
University in San Antonio and a freelance writer. He has covered all
levels of tennis competition.