11/14/09 - Hoogland Reaches Finals at Indoor Open
 HTA’s Sam Hoogland reached the finals at the 2009 USTA Boys’ 14s Midwest Indoor Open held at the Lake Country Racquet Club in Hartland, Wis. on October 31-November 2.
Hoogland, ranked 22nd in the Midwest, entered the ultra-competitive field as the tenth seed. He took his first two matches 6-0, 6-0, and 6-1, 6-0 to set-up a match with third seeded Riley Reist. Reist, an eventual consolation semifinalist, captured the first set 6-3. Hoogland fought back to take the second 6-3. The two players traded punches in the third set, ended up tied at 9 all after 18 points. Hoogland took the two biggest points of the match to move into the quarterfinals.
The quarterfinal match featured Hoogland’s second comeback as he dropped the first set 4-6. He climbed back to take the second set 6-2 and he once again captured a third set super-break 11-9.
Hoogland drew fellow Chicago District competitor, and tournament top seed, Aron Hiltzik in the semifinals. The difference in the match was just one break in each set as Hoogland won 7-5, 6-4. In the finals Hoogland took a set lead after taking the first set tiebreak 7-2. Fourth seeded Max Fliegner bounced back to take the second 6-2 . In the last set Sam ran out of gas and fell 10-4. Fliegner was a finalist in the Boys’ 12s Midwest Indoor Open the previous season.
“Sam posted great results in this tournament,” said HTA Head Coach Ben Pettinari. “To take out the first and third seeded players in this level of event is especially impressive. We are all very pleased with the progress he has made in the 14s.”
Other HTA Participants in the draw were Daniel Choi (1-2), Jalen Evans (2-2), Chas Mayer (1-2), Joel Meyer (2-2), Vinnie Nagaraj (1-2), and Brandon Wozniczka (2-2).
“It speaks highly of our presence in the Midwest that seven of the sixty-four participants in the draw were HTA members,” noted Owner Ken Herrmann. click here for complete results
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