PUEBLO – Aswaanth Karuppasamy took his share of lumps when he was thrust into playing No. 1 singles as a freshman during an unusual and trying 2020 season.
The promising D’Evelyn tennis player held his own, but he narrowly missed out on a trip to state nonetheless. Now, Karuppasamy is a sophomore and he’s on the verge of playing for a No. 1 singles state title at the Class 4A state championships on Saturday morning at Pueblo City Park.
“My coach really wanted me to make it to the final and win it for the team,” Karuppasamy said. “That makes it feel bigger because it’s not only for me, but also for my team. Luke Weber is a really good player and we usually have really tight matches. I knew he was going to push me, but I was able to push through it. I just tried my best and it came.”
In Friday’s state semifinals, Karuppasamy won 6-1, 6-1 over Niwot junior Luke Weber, who won the No. 2 singles state title in 2020. On Saturday morning, he will battle impressive Kent Denver freshman Nathan Gold for the No. 1 singles championship.
Coming into the season, Karuppasamy entered with increased confidence because he grew from 5-foot-6 to 5-foot-10 since the previous season and knew that over half of last year’s No. 1 singles bracket either graduated or opted not to play this season.
Even early on in the 2021 campaign, he set his sights on the top-tier title despite having never played a match at state.
“Last year, I didn’t get to go to state,” Karuppasamy said at the Boulder Invitational on Aug. 17. “When I was a freshman, I felt intimidated because everyone was older and bigger than me. But tennis isn’t new to me, so I still went out there and played my best. High school tennis is a little bit different because you get coaching and I have a really good coach. And if you lose, you lose as a team. So, I have a whole team that I have to help carry.
“But this year, I’ve grown a lot so I’m less intimidating and I’ve got a lot more confidence on the court. So, I think this is probably the best chance I’ll have.”