Evan King Earns Boys 14s Easter Bowl Title: Doubles Championship Goes to Fowler and Holiner

©Colette Lewis 2006
Palm Springs, CA--

Evan King took some inspiration from the Boys 18s Easter Bowl champion Donald Young's victory on Sunday, finishing a dominating run through the 14s draw with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Harry Fowler Tuesday.

"He's from Chicago, he's lefthanded, and I kind of came up watching him, and playing him a little bit," said the fourteen-year-old, recounting their matches five or six years ago. "I've played him four times, and I've gotten one game combined. He kind of whupped me up."

In the finals it was King, the second seed, who did the same to Fowler, neutralizing the forehand of the tenth seeded Texan and thwarting him with superb defense.

"It was frustrating and I got a little more upset than I should have," said Fowler, 14. "He was running down everything today, he was just playing extremely solid."

"I've played him before, and I knew he could come with some amazing forehands," King said. "Today, I didn't want it to be a weapon, and I don't think he hit too many winners off it, so I think I did a nice job."

Fowler held serve only once in the match, and his double faults provided King with extra ammunition in the unforced error battle. If the Chicagoan had any moment of doubt, he never showed it, and even when Fowler's final error gave King his first singles gold ball, he didn't indulge in any emotional celebration.

Even before his Easter Bowl win, King had planned to compete in the 16s during the remainder of 2006, although he is unsure whether he will be playing Kalamazoo this year because the dates conflict with the World Junior Tennis competition.

"I'm not going to Mexico, because of a commitment to high school tennis," King said of next month's ITF 14 and under team regional qualifying. "We don't know who's going to the Czech Republic yet for the finals, but if I get chosen, I hope to go."

In the meantime, King will play 16s, and set his sites on another gold ball, or perhaps another game or two in a practice match with Donald Young.


Fowler had two chances for a gold ball on Tuesday, and he made good on the second one, when he and partner David Holiner defeated another unseeded team of Texans in Alexander De Chatellus and Ben Guthrie, 6-4, 6-4.