Benvenuto wins PAL singles' title

Despite the lopsided score, the singles championship was filled with a number of sustained rallies between two tennis artists who make the tennis court their canvas from which to produce masterpieces. There were strokes of brilliance pitting the hard-hitting, smash-mouth power game of Benvenuto, who at 6-foot-2 and 180 pounds towers over Nerenberg, the 15-year-old freshman whose preternatural talent allows him to consistently chop down bigger opponents.

Nerenberg defeated Benvenuto in three sets in their only match of the season on March 8. He also won two and a half years ago in their only United States Tennis Association juniors match. But late in the first set of Friday's match, it was clear Benvenuto was prepared to fight harder and longer and play a more intelligent match than in his previous losses to the precocious Nerenberg.

"Devin is way more mentally tough than I am, so I knew I needed to play well," Benvenuto said. "The last time we played, it was a long three-setter and he was a lot fitter than I was and that's why he won. I was extremely focused today to run all day. I wasn't ready for another loss."

Instead, Benvenuto played the perfect match: He ran Nerenberg from sideline to sideline, mixing deep, penetrating lasers with high-arcing, topspin shots and the occasional drop shot that was hit with such delicacy that the ball landed over the net as if it had a parachute on it. The match was Benvenuto's to win or lose. Able to dictate the points with superior firepower, the biggest question was whether or not the Aragon junior could hold it together mentally.

What would happen when the cat-quick Nerenberg ran down Benvenuto's jackhammer of a forehand, shots that would normally be winners against anyone else? Could Benvenuto be consistent and patient enough in the long rallies? Could he overcome Nerenberg's rock-solid steadiness, a game so fundamentally sound that when Nerenberg commits an unforced error, it almost makes you gasp.

The answer to all of those was a resounding yes.

Benvenuto smacked 31 winners to only 18 unforced errors, produced two aces and 11 service winners, and converted 5 of 8 break-point chances. Nerenberg hit eight winners compared to an uncharacteristic 11 unforced errors and converted on only 1 of 5 break-point opportunities. None of this would've been possible without Benvenuto's Ford-tough mental game. Sure, at times it's going to look weird when Benvenuto talks to himself during a match loud enough for everyone to hear, but that's only a detriment if he allows his emotions to get the best of him.

Benvenuto broke Nerenberg's service in the opening game and never trailed despite opening up with two straight double-faults on his own service game. He punctuated a 4-2 lead with an ace down the middle and overcame a 40-15 deficit on Nerenberg's serve to clinch the first set. But the most impressive aspect of Benvenuto's win was the remarkable movement he displayed on the few occasions he was put on the defensive. He went up 2-0 in the second set after Nerenberg dumped a relatively easy forehand volley into the net, only after Benvenuto retrieved two deep shots in both corners.

Few players play better defense and turn defense into instant offense than Nerenberg, but Benvenuto was moving so fluidly and gracefully that it looked as if he was riding in a Cadillac on the court. And when Nerenberg decided to serve and volley late in the match, Benvenuto hit some blistering returns, which were followed up by some devastating forehands.

"Steve will have good days like that, and when he does, there's not much you can do," said Nerenberg, one of the most mature and technically gifted freshman tennis player to come out of the PAL in recent memory. "I was trying to stay consistent, hoping he was going to make mistakes, but he was just ripping the ball. There was nothing I could do. He plays a big game and when he's on, he's really tough. I can't really hit the big shots unless I'm following up my serve. I was running around a lot and hoping to get some free points, but it never really came."

This was the classic case of a puncher versus a counterpuncher, and in the end Benvenuto was able to deliver the knockout punch - not that it was easy.

"This was so much harder than any USTA juniors match," he said. "You can't imagine. It was so hard playing the first set because I had to overcome my nerves. When I saw he was a little nervous too, that got me confident. I had to beat him at his own game by playing steady; that's the only way you're going to beat Devin. The mentally tough counter punchers like him have such a big advantage on the clutch points because they don't have to rely on a winner to win the point and game at 40-all (high school tennis plays no-ad).

"Today was purely mental. I'm working on dealing with my nerves, and when I'm feeling it I'm able to move my feet and hit all my shots. When I'm not moving, that's when I lose. It's all about confidence for me (and other top junior players). The difference between a top 10 and top 50 player (in the USTA rankings) isn't the way they hit the ball. Everyone has the shots. It's how you play the big points and being mentally tough. Strokes can only take you so far."

A couple of days ago, Benvenuto's personal coach, Riaz Shizji, predicted his pupil would make the final and face Nerenberg.

"He told me that it was on me and the match was in my hands," Benvenuto said.

Then the Aragon star went out and made the PAL championship his destiny.