Rockville Centre’s Noah Rubin Advances at U.S. Open Junior Tourney

September 3, 2013 | By New York Tennis Magazine Staff
Photo credit: Adam Wolfthal

As Rockville Centre, N.Y.’s Noah Rubin stepped on Court 4 today for his first round match in the U.S. Open Junior Tournament, the theme from his team was to stay calm and play his game. Noah did just that in winning his first round match 6-3, 6-0 against Germany’s Hannes Wagner. Noah played well throughout and remained in control throughout. According to his Coach Lawrence Kleger, director of tennis at the John McEnroe Tennis Academy, "Noah returned very well. He was solid off the ground. He moved the ball around the court well. He stayed calm throughout the match mentally and played smart. "

The crowd was certainly in Noah’s corner as the native New Yorker had friends and family on hand to cheer him on. His cheering section enjoyed the display Noah put on.

Noah’s grandfather said, "Noah’s court demeanor gives us confidence. His calmness playing gives me calmness watching."

His coach and father, Eric Rubin, said, "I try to enjoy the moment and watch as a dad. I have tremendous confidence in him and I am proud. I basically turn into a fan at matches and am amazed at some of the things he can do."

While some of his team stays calm, others have their superstitions. His girlfriend, Alex Lipps, a tennis player herself from Roslyn, N.Y., watched most of he match with her fingers crossed. After the match, she was relieved and happy.

"He did amazing, but I always think he does amazing," said Lipps. "Sometimes he is hard on himself, but I am very proud of how he played today and always. "

Noah himself was very satisfied with how things went today saying, "There’s always lots of pressure playing in a major, but I try to have a calm intensity. It is a great experience being able to play a Grand Slam in my backyard here in New York and to have the crowd support is special."

Tomorrow, Rubin will face Junior Wimbledon Champion and second-seeded Gianluigi Quinzi of Italy in a major test. Asked about the upcoming match, Rubin said, "I don’t look ahead … I just play my game and make adjustments when needed and hope things work out in my favor."


New York Tennis Magazine Staff
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