Beyer tennis star Lewis chasing place in Sac-Joaquin Section history

Most 16-year-olds spend their Christmas and spring breaks running between adventures.

Boarding a mountain. Rafting a river. Hiking a summit. Or burning the midnight oil, hands glued to a controller or a smartphone, knowing the alarm won’t come calling the morning.

Not Ryan Lewis, the Beyer High sophomore tennis sensation.

Lewis spent his breaks on the opposite coast, chasing his place in Sac-Joaquin Section history at the birthing center for many of America’s next sports stars.

The Modesto Metro Conference champion can add to his mantle Thursday as he competes in the semifinal round of the Division I individual tournament at Roseville’s Johnson Ranch Racquet Club.

Lewis will face Napa’s Daniel Mateescu. The winner will advance to the final, where a player from the southern half of the section hasn’t won since Beyer’s Paul Dilloway in 1999.

“If he keeps his focus on what he’s hoping to do, he can take the whole tournament without any issue. That’s how talented he is,” Gonzales said. “It comes down to staying focused.”

No problem there, coach.

Lewis attacks his opponents from the baseline, setting the tempo with his speed and power. Each stroke is calculated, moving his opponent as if he were a marionette.

To this point, no one has outlasted Lewis. He is 18-0 on the season and the Division I tournament's top overall seed.

He defeated Downey's Nick Mendez in the MMC Singles Championship, 6-0 and 6-0, and dispatched Tokay’s Cameron Fernandez and Jake Floyd of Vintage (Napa) in straight sets to advance to the D-I semifinal round.

Stephen Guenard of Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove) and Derek Wadsworth of Armijo (Fairfield) will duke it out on the opposite side of the bracket. Guenard is the No. 2 seed and a regular United States Tennis Association opponent for Lewis, who recently graduated from the 14-year-old division ranked in the top five in Northern California and won two tournaments in an older age bracket.

Lewis likes his chances against the remaining field. His confidence is mixed with determination, fueling every blistering first-serve and winner.

Lewis’ freshman season ended prematurely. He suffered his first and only loss in the MMC singles final to Jordan Hayashi of Enochs, who will compete with Sohun Panchal in the Division I doubles tournament, and had to withdraw from the section tournament with a hand injury.

“I’ve always been determined to win the MMC and do my best in sections,” he said.

He’s gone to great lengths to ensure that growth, enlisting the help of the very best hitting partners in the country.

Lewis spent his Christmas and spring breaks at the IMG Academy in Florida, training with the top junior players in the world. He even shared the court with a few pros.

“He’s pushed himself,” Gonzales said. “He's doing something almost every day and every weekend, trying to better himself. He has a strong drive to be successful at what he does.”

The experiences at IMG have leveled the playing field at the section level, where Sacramento players have dominated the tournament for years.

Lewis hasn’t lost a match in practice, on the USTA circuit or in high school since leaving for the academy in December.

“I feel like I’ve gotten a lot better since going there and training with players better than I am,” he said. “I feel like that’s when my momentum started.”

This story was originally published May 13, 2015 at 1:56 PM with the headline "Beyer tennis star Lewis chasing place in Sac-Joaquin Section history."