Tennis prodigy makes immediate impact at Revere

by Sheldon Ocker

Finn Keenan might not like being labeled a tennis prodigy, but it’s difficult to ignore that his mastery of the sport is far beyond the norm for someone his age.

Straight out of middle school, Keenan won the No. 1 singles spot on the Revere High tennis squad last school year. The freshman maintained that position all season. When the playoffs began, Keenan kept going and going and going, qualifying as the only freshman to reach the state tournament at the College of Wooster.

He lost his first match to his “buddy,” Shane Hand of Olentangy Liberty High School near Columbus. Hand won 6-3, 7-6 and eventually claimed fourth place in Ohio. Hand, a sophomore, made the tandem of he and Keenan the youngest competitors in the state tournament.

“That was one of the most nervous matches I’ve ever played,” Keenan said. “I knew all the guys there. They were all older than me, so I really wanted to do well.”

Keenan had his own cheering section. Three of his friends from Revere came to watch, even though his match was during the school day.

“They told me the night before they were skipping school to see me play,’’ Keenan said. “They painted my name on their chests.”

During the regular season Keenan posted a 15-4 record. All four losses came against state-tourney-level players, according to Revere coach Dave Heideman.

“To compete against the Division I players he faced [most seniors], you have to have all the skills,” Heideman said.

The coach knew of Keenan’s aptitude for the sport before he arrived at Revere, even though there is no tennis program at the middle school.

“It was exciting to know he was on the way,” Heideman said. “He met and exceeded all expectations.”

Heideman’s assessment of Keenan’s ability and commitment is nothing if not over the moon.

“Finn is hard working and very dedicated,” the coach said. “He is extremely talented, and he shows a lot of maturity. He has so many skills he can use at a high level, he’s really fun to watch.”

Keenan seems to know that he is an exceptional talent. He is confident yet somewhat shy about making a splash. He had a sense that he could dominate high school players, but he didn’t want to be fawned over and celebrated when he was doing his homework in study hall.

“I knew lot of the guys on the team, and I knew what their level was,” Keenan said. “So I was confident going into the season that I could be No. 1 [singles player]. But I didn’t really like a lot of attention. I didn’t really want people to know I played tennis, except here and there it was nice to get compliments from teachers and my peers.”

It should come as no surprise that Keenan’s parents performed at a high level athletically. His father, Shaun, was born in New Zealand, moved to Australia as a child and came to the United States on a tennis scholarship at Wichita State University.

He went on to play in professional tournaments and eventually settled in as a teaching pro, currently at Paramount Tennis Club in Medina County and Fairlawn Country Club.

Finn’s mother, Tracey, was a noted sprinter on the Ohio University track team and before that at Revere, where she is a member of the Revere Hall of Fame.

The other Keenan offspring, Charlotte, a senior at Revere, is a member of the cross-country team and the track team, as a sprinter.

When Finn isn’t playing tennis for Revere, he plays in United States Tennis Association junior tournaments. He said he plays in 25-30 per year. He recently moved up to the 16-18 age group. It goes without saying that the older the competitors, the tougher the competition, because kids who can’t keep up drop out.

Finn said his highest ranking in 14U was 52^nd in the nation in singles and 26^th in doubles. His usual doubles partners are from Boston and Detroit, so he gets around.

When he was introduced to tennis by his father, at age 7, he was not a fan. His friends were playing other sports, and he wanted to join them.

“When I was around 11, I started to get a little better at tennis and fell in love with it,” he said. “Now, I can’t go more than three days without it.”

What happens after Finn graduates? “I definitely want to play D-1 in college,” he said. He is hoping for the University of Florida, USC or North Carolina, all schools with big-time tennis programs.

Finn has high aspirations, and so far he is on track to succeed. ∞

Photo (above): Student athlete Finn Keenan (middle) stands with Revere Tennis Couch Dave Heideman (l) and his mother Tracey Keenan. Photo submitted.

Finn Keenan celebrates after a good shot. Photo submitted.