Teen tennis star’s American dream

Two consecutive quarter-final finishes in the French Open in 1952 and 1953, both by the late Feliscimo Ampon, represent the Philippines’ highest accolade in tennis to date. But with offers of a scholarship to top US colleges this September, Dubai-based 17-year-old Kirksteen Rebuyas could revive a nation’s 59-year slumber in the sport to join the likes of compatriot and current ATP World No. 878 Ruben Gonzales on the tennis circuit. Born in Dubai to parents Hermano and Michie, who are originally from Leyte, Visayas, Rebuyas is the UAE’s No 1 at boys’ U18 and U16 age levels. What’s more, his ITF world ranking soared from 1180 to 380 in 18 months, with him currently ranked 436rd. With an ITF career singles record of 28-28 and doubles results of 24-26, the clay and hard-court specialist won January’s Qatar ITF Junior Open doubles event and was a runner-up in the singles to claim his career highest points haul.This followed two quarter-final finishes in the UAE and Saudi Arabian ITF Junior Championships in 2011, plus a semi-final exit in Riyadh’s ITF Juniors last October. A sole grade one wild card outing involved Rebuyas going out in the round of 64 in Manila’s International Juniors in March, but the experience was invaluable. Now his coach Troy Gillham believes his protégé is ready for the next level. With the Grammar School Dubai student showing burgeoning potential, but without the finances to expose himself to higher levels of competition outside the UAE, a college scholarship in the US remains his main goal. Gillham, of the Professional Sports Services (PPS) Emirates Academy, has been coaching Rebuyas on scholarship for three years. However, he accepts the only way forward for his student now is for him to go stateside, where interest from Notre Dame, Berkeley and Illinois colleges offers exciting possibilities. “I really want to get into a US college in order to test myself against the best and play in higher standards of and more regular competition. It would be a huge opportunity for me,” said Rebuyas, who is currently sitting his final exams in his last year at school. “At the moment in Dubai there aren’t many tournaments and I’ve become used to the level of competition here. In order to test myself I’ve had to travel outside to events, and this eventually takes its strain on finances and schooling. “If I were able to study in the US, the college would support both my tennis and education, and it would expose me to so many more opportunities. The programme would also help me structure my education, fitness and tennis. I’m really looking forward to it,” added the teenager, who is readying himself for six hours of training a day, six days a week. His coach Gillham, who is originally from Australia and who spent two years on the ATP tour himself, said: “With Kirk’s current ranking, he’s certainly good enough to get a scholarship at a top college and, within a year of study in the US, he’d be able to give the men’s professional circuit a crack.” Gillham added: “He’s probably the quickest player on court I’ve ever seen, very hard working and determined. Luckily he has the talent to make up for the fact he’s only 5ft 8ins. But on tour he’d need crazy mental strength. He still needs to mature mentally, but most male players peak at age 22, and he still has time to develop things like courage and self-belief. “It’s interesting to see what college will bring out of him. I think it will complete him. At the moment it’s hard because he’s only playing six or so tournaments a year because of location and travel costs. But at his level, he should be playing 35 weeks a year,” said Gillham. “College would provide this for him as well as a top class academic education. You’re looking at US$80-150,000 a year for travel expenses and coaching costs while on tour, plus US$30-50,000 university tuition fees, and this is something his family simply couldn’t afford. But his tennis has earned him the chance of a scholarship and he deserves it.” Rebuyas’ father Hermano, a shift supervisor for an aluminium plant in Jebel Ali, came to the UAE from the Philippines in 1988. He said: “I couldn’t have imagined that one day I would be able to send my son to study in the US. This was a dream. “We’re very proud of him and will help him in his decision to pick the right college. We have family there so this will help him settle in. There are many offers; we’re just choosing where’s best for his tennis and his education.”from gulfnews.com