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lockportlegend.com sports<br />

the lockport legend | April 25, 2019 | 35<br />

Athlete of the Week<br />

10 Questions<br />

with Quinn Robinson<br />

22ND CENTURY MEDIA is looking<br />

for local FREELANCE REPORTERS<br />

and PHOTOGRAPHERS to cover events,<br />

meetings and sports in the area.<br />

Quinn Robinson is a<br />

sophomore at Lockport<br />

Township and the No.<br />

1 singles player on the<br />

Porters tennis team.<br />

I would have to say, Roger<br />

Federer. He’s just a great<br />

player and I’d really want<br />

to meet him just to ask him<br />

what goes on in his head<br />

and apply it to my game.<br />

You were the top<br />

singles player as a<br />

freshman on the JV<br />

team last year, but<br />

did you expect to be<br />

the top varsity singles<br />

player this season?<br />

Not really, but I knew<br />

I got better. I just didn’t<br />

know how much. Over the<br />

fall and winter, I took private<br />

lessons and then group<br />

lessons. So when I came<br />

into the season I competed<br />

with the top guys.<br />

You lost a No. 1<br />

singles match April<br />

17 at Homewood-<br />

Flossmoor, but your<br />

team won the match.<br />

What did you learn<br />

from that match?<br />

Yes, I lost 6-0, 6-1. It<br />

was my first loss in a dual<br />

match. All my other ones<br />

were in tournaments and<br />

I’m 10-6 now on the year<br />

[through April 17]. I’ve<br />

just learned that playing<br />

against top players of that<br />

level I have to adjust my<br />

shot and find ways to get<br />

points.<br />

How did you get<br />

involved in playing<br />

tennis?<br />

I started pretty young. I<br />

just wanted to play, but it<br />

was really on and off until<br />

Randy Whalen/22nd<br />

Century Media<br />

I got to high school. Then,<br />

I became really interested<br />

in it and knew I really<br />

wanted to play. I played<br />

well as a freshman and<br />

knew I wanted to get better<br />

for varsity.<br />

Is tennis the only<br />

sport you play?<br />

It is now. Through junior<br />

high, at Homer Jr. High,<br />

I did cross country and<br />

track. Freshman year at<br />

Lockport, I also did cross<br />

country, but then I quit that<br />

as I wanted to commit myself<br />

to tennis.<br />

What is it about the<br />

game of tennis that<br />

makes it the sport for<br />

you?<br />

It’s very physically<br />

challenging but also is a<br />

mental game. It’s just the<br />

balance of the two is very<br />

intriguing. I also only play<br />

singles because I like it all<br />

on me.<br />

If you could meet one<br />

person in the world<br />

that is still living, who<br />

would it be and why?<br />

What do you do to<br />

pump yourself up<br />

before a match?<br />

I just zone out and make<br />

sure that my head is in the<br />

match. I listen to music<br />

once in a while on the bus<br />

trip to an away match, but<br />

just something upbeat. I<br />

don’t have a favorite song<br />

or group.<br />

What have you<br />

learned from Lockport<br />

tennis coach Bob<br />

Champlin?<br />

I’ve learned how to control<br />

aspects of my game,<br />

[and] also how to play<br />

against different types of<br />

players.<br />

Would you like to play<br />

tennis in college?<br />

Yes, I think I would like<br />

to play in college. I still<br />

have time to improve and<br />

get to that level, so well<br />

will see then.<br />

What’s the best thing<br />

about being an athlete<br />

at Lockport?<br />

I would say being part of<br />

the reputation at Lockport,<br />

[and] just taking on that<br />

reputation of being a good<br />

athlete at a good school.<br />

You want to take that and<br />

keep it going.<br />

Interview By Freelance Reporter<br />

Randy Whalen<br />

Interested individuals should send<br />

an email with a resume and any clips to<br />

jobs@22ndcenturymedia.com<br />

www.22ndcenturymedia.com<br />

CHICAGO SOUTHWEST<br />

CHICAGO NORTHSHORE<br />

MALIBU

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