Bloomington North's O'Guinn turns tennis regional foes inside-out
Indoors or out, Bloomington North's Connor O'Guinn has been unbeatable in the postseason.
The senior started off a cool, misty Saturday morning in Bedford for the IHSAA singles regional and had few problems recording a 6-1, 6-0 win over Lanesville's Ben Austin.
Then the rain fell a bit harder around noon, forcing O'Guinn and Evansville Christian's Ferdi Bosse to bus up to Bloomington and grab a spot at the Indiana University indoor courts for a bid to the state finals.
No wind. No sun. No rain. Same old O'Guinn, playing to win, keeping his opponent off balance and countering every move to pull out a 6-4, 6-3 win and continue the surprising run for the Cougar who wasn't even sure what position in the lineup he'd occupy when the season began.
Now, he's headed to Park Tudor next Friday, his opponent to be determined, at either 10 a.m. or 2 p.m.
"I don't think Connor has ever played indoors," North coach Ken Hydinger said. "Maybe once? I thought maybe it would mess with him, but he handled it real well. Indoors, it's a different game, and he rose to the occasion."
Out of the weather, players are free to crank away with their shots, Hydinger noted, and it's tougher to change the pace and work the points. "It's quite different," he said.
But O'Guinn figured it out in short order and frustrated his opponent, who hit and moved well with clutch shots and patience. Bosse couldn't overpower him or outlast him. O'Guinn smartly changed up his shots and his serve and never feel behind either set to keep the pressure on his opponent.
"On one point, I counted 45 balls," Hydinger said. "(Bosse) didn't have quite the firepower to overcome Connor's quickness and clutch shots. If he tried to play slow and steady, he had to question, 'Can I stay with this guy?' He had to play a tightrope."
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Bloomington North's O'Guinn turns tennis regional foes inside-out
