Let's hit it!

DI tennis player Chad Nash serving as hitting partner for VCO players

Daniel Island resident Chad Nash is getting a rare opportunity to do something that most teens his age will never get to experience. But he’s earned it.

The talented athlete, who will head to Furman this fall on a tennis scholarship, is holding court with some of the top players in this year’s Volvo Car Open – as a hitting partner.

“It’s very rewarding,” said Nash. “I never really thought I would do it, but always thought it would be cool to hit with some of these people, just to see where I compare with my tennis game. ... It’s very rewarding to hit with them and compete with them and almost feel like a part of their team.”

Nash, who just turned 19 last month, has a pretty impressive tennis resume in his own right. He trains about five to six hours a day, six days a week, at LTP in Mount Pleasant. Before he recently aged out of 18 and under tournaments, he was ranked in the top 40 in the Southern region and in the top 10 in the state.

Last week, Nash hit the green clay on Daniel Island with several players, including Belinda Bencic of Switzerland, seeded 10th in the VCO and No. 20 in the world, Madison Keys, world No. 16, and the VCO’s top seed Sloane Stephens. He’s been a hitting partner for three years now, but this is the first year he was invited to the courts before the tournament got started.

“This year has been the toughest on what I have to do for a specific drill,” Nash added. “They’re very specific ... all the players. And that’s what you’re gonna get at this level ... You really just have to zone in. Mostly it’s just drill-based, where you have a certain pattern you run.”

And it’s not hard to feel the power behind the shots he returns.

“I hit on a daily basis and I hit with a bunch of guys my age, 19 and going to college,” said Nash. “And they hit the ball similar to these girls, but I’ve had some girls over the past couple of years that hit the ball really hard. It was a little unexpected at first, but then I get used to it as I go through it. But they definitely hit the ball hard, there is no doubt about that. It’s really good practice for me.”

And while he’s hesitant to play favorites when asked who he has enjoyed hitting with the most, there is one that stands out.

“It’s inspiring to hit with any of them ... whether they are top 50 or if they are 400,” he said. “But I think one of the coolest experiences I’ve had was hitting with Monica Puig two years ago. She was my first year of hitting and I warmed her up for match and then she ended up beating a girl who was like No. 10 in the world at the time ... It was a really good win for her, and then she kept asking me to keep hitting with her, and then she kept winning ... It made me feel almost like I was a part of it.”

Does he have a particular player he’d especially like to hit with? Bencic was one — and he’s already checked that experience off his list.

“I would say probably either (Angelique) Kerber or (Sam) Stosur,” said Nash, on a break between practice sessions in front of the VCO club house last week. “I’ve been a big fan of Stosur for a while.”

If his past hitting partners are any indication, looks like his chances are pretty good.

Daniel Island Publishing

225 Seven Farms Drive
Unit 108
Daniel Island, SC 29492 

Office Number: 843-856-1999
Fax Number: 843-856-8555

 

Breaking News Alerts

To sign up for breaking news email alerts, Click on the email address below and put "email alerts" in the subject line: sdetar@thedanielislandnews.com

Comment Here