Middle schooler embraces tennis talent

Middle schooler embraces tennis talent

Arina Martin, a seventh-grader from Makanda, waits to serve Tuesday during private lessons at the SIU Tennis Courts. Martin receives lessons from SIU women’s tennis coach Audra Nothwehr. Martin will travel to Kalamazoo, Mich., this weekend to compete in a tournament.  Nothwehr said Martin is ranked in the Top 12 in southern Illinois for her age group and ranked in the Top 30 in the Midwest.  Martin said her mom told her she had to play a sport when she was younger and she chose soccer, but changed her mind one day while at Sports Blast.  “I just looked at the tennis people and said ‘I’m going to play tennis’,” Martin said.

Photo taken by Steve Matzker of the Daily Egyptian

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