Maslau and Weymar Take a Shot at Mixed-Doubles Glory
Hleb Maslau was sitting on a couch next to the tournament desk on the viewing deck of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center during the U.S. Open National Playoffs-Eastern Qualifier. Words could not accurately describe the state of shock drawn across Maslau’s face following his semifinal loss in the men’s singles draw, which could have eventually earned him a berth in the U.S. Open Qualifying draw.
Even with the defeat, the Southampton, N.Y. native wasn’t heading home just yet. Somehow, someway, he would have to gather himself to join Simona Weymar in their attempt to win the Eastern Qualifier’s Mixed-Doubles tournament, not such an easy feat.
“I played so poorly in singles in the semifinal,” Maslau said in reference to his loss to Gary Kushnirovich of St. John’s University. “It gave me extra motivation to play better doubles.”
He would need to raise his level, as the 24-year old Maslau and his 23-year old partner Weymar faced a tough field in the Eastern Qualifier. Multiple players in the draw either have or have had a world ranking, an accomplishment in itself, indicative of the world-class play necessary to compete at such an event.
The duo faced no major hurdle until the semifinals of the event, which was where they met the bulk of the challenge. Maslau and Weymar would need to beat three players from there on out who have had world rankings. How would they react … with dominance.
Without dropping a set, the Long Island duo left no doubt for those watching that they were the best to represent Eastern in the finals of the U.S. Open National Playoffs. In the qualifier’s final, they beat another Long Island duo, Elizabeth Kobak & Cory Parr 6-4, 6-3.
For a player who has earned a reputation as a fighter, always grinding through every match, regardless of opponent or his own level of play on that given day, Maslau had even more reason to put the match behind him.
“I am also playing doubles with my girlfriend,” Maslau said in teaming up with Weymar. “[I’m] not going to throw that away.”
Nor should he, as the tandem, both of whom graduated from the University of North Florida, won a big prize money tournament last summer, giving them plenty of experience together, especially when it is most important, under large amounts of pressure. It certainly did not phase them at the Eastern Qualifier.
“I mean, I think we just played,” Maslau said. “Every match is different and we just took our chances.” That they did, and doing so, the pair moved one step closer to their ultimate goal, earning a wild card into the U.S. Open.
From Aug. 20-23, New Haven and its Connecticut Open will play host to the finals of the U.S. Open Mixed-Doubles Championships, including Maslau & Weymar, along with 12 other teams vying for the chance to live out a dream. The winner will find themselves competing in Flushing Meadows alongside the best tennis players in the world, in the main draw of the U.S. Open.
That doesn’t mean that Maslau & Weymar are sweating it.
“It’s just about being mentally ready to go ahead and play,” Maslau said about the pressure of the moment. “It gets us more excited I suppose. At the end of the day, it's just tennis. You win … you lose … it's all part of it.”
So, how did the two students who went to school in Florida end up on the Eastern end of Long Island, one may ask?
“I came to work for the Ross School Tennis Academy,” Maslau said. “It is a great place for me to be able to still compete and help develop some players.”
Weymar, according to Maslau is also going to be a part of the Ross School family, working in the admissions department, as well as helping out on the court from time to time.
It does not hurt that the doubles team works at the same place. They have plenty of time to work on their games in preparation for the big challenge at the end of the summer.
“We practice before work at 8:00 a.m. and after work at 5:00 p.m.,” Maslau said, adding that the team will have something extra in their corner when the tournament arrives. “My coach will come also from Tennessee to come see us play, so that’s cool.”
As what many would see as a “do or die” moment with a chance of a lifetime on the line, tons of players would crumble under the spotlight. It isn’t easy to come so close to living a dream without getting caught up in the suspense of everything.
Not for Maslau.
“I don't want to get ahead of myself, or start thinking, ‘what if’?,” he said.
What if Maslau & Weymar manage to fight their way back to where it all began, at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center? Long Island will be able to say that not only did some of their own make it, but they did it the right way, through hard work and perseverance. A semifinal singles loss will not look so bad anymore.
Credit photo to Kelly Keenan
Simona Weymar & Hleb Maslau will compete for a shot at the 2014 U.S. Open Mixed-Doubles main draw at the Connecticut Open in New Haven, Conn.
