Weston Player Crowned Tennis Sectional Champion

WESTON, MA—New England Junior Sectionals showcases the best of the best in junior tennis in New England over a grueling five-day tournament, according to theUnited States Tennis Association.

The top New England juniors competed at the Connecticut Tennis Center and the Cullman-Heyman Tennis Center, both at Yale University from June 22-26, for their shot at achieving the highest level of success in their age division in New England.

"From first-time matchups and longtime doubles partners squaring off to epic four-hour battles and continued family traditions, this year’s Sectional Championships had no shortage of drama," said the announcement from the USTA. "Players train and compete all year to achieve peak performance at Sectionals, and for eight spectacular talents, their dreams became a reality on June 26, as they were crowned New England Junior Sectional Champions."

Sectional champions included Walker Oberg from Weston.

Oberg, who is 15, was the lone repeat winner at sectionals, as he captured the 14s title last year and took home the Boys’ 16s championship this year, said the announcement. The No. 5 seeded Oberg, who has had a rough go against some of his higher seeded 16s foes, strung together the run of his life and even shocked himself in New Haven, reports the USTA.

“I didn’t think I was going to do it but it feels really good,” Oberg said in a statement.“I felt good coming in, and the draw opened up a little bit and just took advantage of it.”

Three out of the top four seeds had been eliminated by the quarterfinals, setting Oberg up with more favorable (yet still challenging) matchups against unseeded Terrence McGrath and No. 7 Casey Kania before squaring off against No. 3 Matthew Campbell in the finals, according to the announcement.

“I’d never beaten Matthew before or some of the other top players, and I really don’t have a winning record against many of the seeds. I knew things were going to be tough, and I could have lost at any point,” Oberg said in a statement. “When I play Matt, I usually let him back in the match, and I did that a little bit again, but I got myself together and closed it out.”

Oberg went up 5-2 in the first set and Campbell battled back to make it 5-4, but Oberg was too strong on this day. He closed out the set, 6-4, and took the second 6-2 en route to the championship.

Information and photos supplied by USTA