MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – The late nights are over for Red Bank’s Daniel Cox.
But he got a chance to showcase how much he’s learned over the years.
Cox’s quest for a Class A/AA tennis state championship fell short Thursday, as he lost in straight sets to Page’s David Skrabut in a semifinal at the Adams Tennis Center. The loss did come after a win, though, as Cox blanked Sullivan South’s Nate Barrett 6-0, 6-0 in the quarterfinals.
He fell in the region final last season, a year after falling in the region semifinals. As a result, Cox – who was also Red Bank’s valedictorian and delivered the commencement speech last week – spent time working with Tommy Lile of Tennis Court Concepts and Racquet Club pro Ryan Reeves. When he wasn’t hitting the books, he was hitting ground strokes, and it has shown in his game.
“Today was awesome,” Cox said after his quarterfinal victory. “I was a little nervous at first, but I worked it out a little towards the end. It probably took me the first three games to settle in, but I wanted to play my best and play smart.”