There's a new Martin Damm in tennis
This week at the US Open, 15-year-old Martin Damm will be busy attempting to work his way through the junior boys’ draw as the No. 3 seed.
The big-serving lefty posted a solid start on Sunday when he ousted Stijn Pel of the Netherlands 6-1, 7-6 (4) in the first round. He ran through the first set, jumping out to a 5-0 lead, but in the second set had to recoup a service break before closing out a straight-set victory.
“In the second set I started off pretty low energy and he lifted his game,” Damm said. “I wasn’t serving too well that second set, but I’m happy I was able to fight back and win it in the tiebreak.”
Last week at the US Open offered a very different experience for the American teen, who received a savory personal taste of what big-time tennis is all about. Damm and 16-year-old fellow American Toby Kodat became the youngest men’s doubles team to win a US Open match in the Open Era.
The teen duo received a wildcard into the men’s doubles draw as deference for winning the USTA Boys’ 18s National Championships title earlier in the summer. They made good value of that reward by posting a first career main draw victory, defeating fellow Americans Mitchell Krueger and Tim Smyczek 7-6 (6), 7-5. Sadly, their dream story ended in a 6-2, 7-5 second-round loss to 12th seeded Germans Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies, the reigning Roland Garros doubles champions.
So it was just like that Damm and Kodat were back to junior status. But obviously not before they recorded their own piece of tennis history.
“That was probably the most fun I’ve had on a tennis court so far,” Damm said. “We went out in the first-round to play a night match at the US Open, which is our home Slam, and we were very happy to get that win.
“We got to go to the men’s locker-room and hang out with the pros like (Rafael) Nadal and (Nick) Kyrgios,” he added. “We were practicing next to them. It for sure felt more like a real tournament because now (in the juniors) we are separated from the real pros.”
To be fair, it’s worth noting that Damm, who journeyed to the boys’ singles semifinals at Roland Garros and Wimbledon this year, isn’t quite the unaware novice as most juniors would be when finding themselves navigating the pro-tour for the initial time.
That’s because the name Martin Damm is a familiar one around these parts. Dad garnered recognition as a world-class player reaching a No. 5 ranking in doubles and No. 42 in singles before he ended his career at the 2011 US Open. The elder Damm captured 40 doubles titles, including winning the 2006 US Open with Leander Paes of India.
Since his father played until eight years ago, the younger Damm remembers romping around tournaments as dad’s guest. In particular, frequent trips to Wimbledon, the Miami Open, and the US Open stand out in his memory.
The elder Damm is one of three coaches his son currently works with towards the goal of improvement. There’s also Glenn Weiner at the IMG Academy where he lives in Bradenton, Fla., and occasional trips over to Orlando to seek the help of USTA coach Phillipe Oudshoorn.
“He’s a father and tennis player as well, but we’re not on the court every single day like some fathers are with their kids,” Damm revealed. “There’s no hate in our relationship and we don’t get into fights on the court because he’s played the sport and he knows that parents can affect the children playing the sport.”
Undoubtedly, all three coaches push Damm to use his height - he stretches to a lanky 6 ft, 6 1/2 inches - to his advantage.
Damm recently paid homage to his beanstalk stature by adding a fourth charm necklace to what he already wore around his neck. His family of five - he has an older brother Max and younger sister Laura - went on a South Africa safari between Roland Garros and Wimbledon. His choice of a souvenir was a gold map charm of Africa etched with an animal he saw on safari. “I’m so tall I thought a giraffe would be right,” he said, smiling.
The other charms are a tennis racket that was a gift from a grandfather, the astrology sign of Libra representing his September birth, and a map with the letters USA emblazoned across it.
The USA charm holds significance, too, as the three Damm siblings were all proudly born in Florida, but have been brought up with a strong Czech influence, the native country of their parents.
“For sure, there’s a part of me that is Czech,” Damm said. “We go there every year. I’d say I’m about half and half. Where I live in Bradenton there’s nothing much but beach. Prague is one the nicest cities I’ve been and I like a city vibe because I’m not much of a beach guy.”
The junior competition commenced on Sunday with just over 20 matches on the schedule.
The day delivered the upset of 11th seeded Thai girl Mananchaya Sawangkaew losing to Russian Daria Frayman 1-6, 6-2, 6-3.
Winners in the girls’ draw included No. 1 Emma Navarro of USA defeating Wong Hong Yi Cody of Hong Kong 6-0, 6-3, and No. 5 Zheng Qinwen of China defeating India Houghton of USA 6-3, 6-4.
Fifth seed Thiago Agustin Tirante of Argentina joined Damm in the boys’ second round by ousting Ronan Jachuck of USA 4-6, 6-2, 6-3.