Benvenuto blossoming

"When things got tough, I got frustrated," Benvenuto said. "I definitely had a bad temper and that led to a lot of losses. It got to the point where I wasn't giving myself a chance to win."

Today, Benvenuto is a model of poise and consistency, his mental toughness improving by each stroke. Last week, the Dons' No. 1 player had his best stretch yet in a burgeoning prep career. The 6-foot-2, 180-pound junior won all 11 of his matches, including eight sets in helping the Dons to a runner-up finish in the Palo Alto tournament.

For his efforts, Benvenuto is the San Mateo Daily Journal's Athlete of the Week.

"I'd probably say this was one of my best weeks playing tennis," Benvenuto said. "Everything fell in place and I like how I'm hitting the ball right now."

Benvenuto, who hasn't lost since March 10, is intent on winning the Peninsula Athletic League and Central Coast Section tournaments. With a jackhammer of a forehand, a serve that regularly hits 120 mph and an improving mental toughness, Aragon could see its first CCS singles champion in school history. As long as he keeps his cool, Benvenuto knows he'll be in every match even against players with more talent and experience.

"I realized I wasn't going to win anything if I didn't start maturing," he said. "I would travel a long way only to lose in the first and second rounds of every (junior) tournament. It wasn't a good feeling, and going through that kind of made me change my outlook."

Developing mental toughness takes time and match play experience. Tennis players often are their own worst enemy, torturing themselves for missing an overhead or committing myriad unforced errors. That's what happened to Benvenuto when he lost to Scott Blumenkranz of Menlo in last year's PAL final, and that's one thing the Dons' standout said won't happen again. He's committed to developing the steely resolve of his favorite player, Lleyton Hewitt.

"People say he's disrespectful to his opponents, but that's a lot of bull," Benvenuto said. "On the court he's out to win and he'll do whatever it takes. If you can compete like he does, you'll go a long way."

Benvenuto first took up tennis when he was 6, but he didn't start playing competitively until three and a half years ago. Baseball was his No. 1 love growing up, and he played for a traveling team until the summer before his freshman year. That's when his personal tennis coach, Riaz Shizji, prodded him to dump baseball.

"He told me I should drop all other sports and focus on tennis," Benvenuto said. "It was something I wanted to do, too, so the decision wasn't too hard to make."

Some athletes are meant to play a certain sport, and there's no doubt Benvenuto was destined to play tennis. His parents, Steve and Linda, are both avid tennis players and first met on the courts at Orange Park in South San Francisco. Still, they didn't pressure their son into tennis; instead, they let him forge his own path. Aragon coach Dave Owdom said his star player has been everything he could've hoped for and more.

"Steve makes everything easy," Owdom said. "You pencil him in at No. 1 and he's going to deliver. He's really dedicated and a big-time competitor."

Ranked No. 21 in the USTA under-18 top 100, Benvenuto spends most of his weekends on the road playing in tournaments. He's already talked to a couple of college coaches and will likely receive a Division I scholarship within the next year. With a booming serve and ground strokes that produce heavy topspin, Benvenuto puts his opponents on the defensive from the get-go. However, the 16-year-old says there's plenty of room for improvement.

"If I want to do well at the college level, I have to improve my speed, footwork and (service) return," Benvenuto said. "I'm willing to work hard at it and I'm naturally competitive. I just have to remind myself to keep my head up."

As Benvenuto has learned, it's what's inside that counts.