English
tennis star crosses pond, now shines
at CSULB
By
Mario Burciaga
Summer Forty-Niner
Assistant Sports Editor
Leaving your family and friends and going off to college can be difficult for
any 18 year old.
Now, imagine going to a school 5,500 miles away from home in a country you
have only visited twice. Then imagine coming to your new school and not just
being the best tennis player at your university, but being the best tennis
player in the conference.
That’s what Hannah Grady did.
Just before the start of the last tennis season and after many telephone calls
with her close friend Jessica Weeks, a member of the Cal State Long Beach tennis
team, Grady had made up her mind.
“I spoke to [Weeks] about coming out to America and she suggested I could
contact [CSULB Head Coach] Jenny Hilt-Costello about the possibility of me being
eligible for one of the scholarships at CSULB,” Grady said.
Soon after she contacted Hilt-Costello, Grady left Coventry, England for The
Beach.
Much like her previous tennis career in England, the southpaw continued her
success in the States, winning matches, moving up in rankings, and opening
eyes across the country.
Grady led the 49ers with a 19-6 singles record during the 2006 season.
“I found that the coaching staff were really welcoming when I arrived in
America, and this meant I was able to settle into the different way
of life extremely quickly,” Grady said. “Personally, I feel that
my teammates inspire me to keep working hard on the court and help me to become
a better player.”
After recording seven wins over ranked opponents, Grady was invited to compete
in the 2006 NCAA Division I Women’s Tennis Championships at the Taube
Tennis Center at Stanford in May.
Grady lost in the first round of the championships, dropping the match to the
No. 1 seed, University of Miami’s Audra Cohen, and finished the season
ranked No. 67 in the country.
“I was really excited and pleased that I got selected to play in the NCAA
tournament. I really enjoyed my week up in Stanford and it allowed me to gain
more experience in my tennis career,” Grady said.
For her success during the season, Grady was named Big West Conference Freshman
of the Year and Player of the Year.
“We are very proud of Hannah. She is very talented and this is only the
beginning,” Hilt-Costello said. “We can expect a lot more from her.
She still has three more years left, and like I said, this is only the beginning.”
The eight-member tennis team is composed of six international players and only
two American players, one of whom is from Hawaii.
“I like the fact that there are so many different cultures in the team,” Grady
said. “It means we are all in the same position by living away from
home, in a foreign area. It also means that I have lots of friends to visit all
over the world.”
Before coming to Long Beach, Grady dominated the junior circuit in England.
She was the winner of the British National Championships in Under-12 singles,
Under-13, Under-15 and Under-18. She was the No. 1-ranked junior in England
in 2001 and 2002 and has competed three times in the junior draw at Wimbledon
and in the French Open junior draw once.
“I have played lots of matches at a high standard throughout my career
and this helps me to overcome adversity when I am put in tight situations on
the court. I want to keep improving and keep enjoying myself on the court,” said
Grady. “I hope we can improve our team ranking and also aim to make the
last 16 in the NCAA tournament.”
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