Tennis: McKennon finds gold

Max McKennon now has a special award that signifies his meteoric rise to the top of the junior tennis world in the last several months.

McKennon, a freshman at Newport Harbor High, won his first individual gold ball on Monday after capturing the boys’ 14s singles championship at the USTA National Winter Championships in Tucson, Ariz.

Gold balls are a very high honor in junior tennis, given for winning one of the four “super national” tournaments. McKennon had won a gold ball in a team tournament, but this was his first individual gold ball.

The lefty was the top-seeded player and he did not drop a set en route to the final. He beat No. 3-seeded Matthew Robinson of Pennsylvania, 6-2, 6-2, in the title match. McKennon also won a silver ball in doubles, earning second place with partner Alex Lin of Gold River.

With the big victory, McKennon is ranked No. 1 in Southern California in the 14s, as well as No. 1 in the nation.

“It felt great,” said McKennon, 14, who already stands 6-foot-2. “I came into the tournament just wanting a ball really badly, and I got two, a gold in singles and a silver in doubles. It just felt really relieving. Now all of that is off my shoulders. Once I got to the finals, I was guaranteed a ball, so I was just like, ‘OK, I’m going to have fun now.’

“The guy I beat in the final, I had lost to in March. That was probably my biggest win.”

McKennon credited a Ball with helping him in his pursuit of the gold ball. Former Corona del Mar High standout Carsten Ball has been coaching McKennon since September.

“Definitely my serve,” McKennon said when asked how Ball has helped his game. “My whole game, I think.”

McKennon, who will play high school tennis for Newport Harbor this spring, will next focus on the winter sectionals tournament coming up later this month in Palm Desert.