Mind game: Beyer’s Lewis digs deep to win Division I tennis title

Ryan Lewis could feel it all slipping away – his health, a perfect season, and the Sac-Joaquin Section title he had hunted for months.

The Beyer High School sophomore arrived at Johnson Ranch Racquet Club in Roseville with one objective.

The Bee’s Boys Tennis Player of the Year hadn’t come all this way for the experience or the camaraderie. He kept the chatter between matches to a minimum and his circle small.

No, Lewis had come for the throne: the Division I crown and the spoils of a champion.

No player from the southern half of the section had won a D-I singles title in 16 years. Coincidentally, the last player to do it was also from Beyer, Paul Dilloway.

Lewis ended the drought with a dramatic three-set victory, outlasting Derek Wadsworth of Armijo 6-2, 3-6, 7-5.

“(Wadsworth) pushed him to his ability and tested him out. Could he handle going that far?” Beyer coach Mark Gonzales said. “It was tough going, but he overcame it.”

Lewis staved off leg cramps and rallied from a third-set deficit to win a match that lasted more than three hours.

“The biggest thing for me was winning sections,” Lewis said. “Over the years, no one has won it from this area. Being the first in 16 years was a big accomplishment, especially beating all the players in a tournament that was very good.”

Lewis finished his banner season 20-0, but the hype swirling around him at sections threatened to conspire against the 6-foot-2 power player.

Lewis was the tournament’s No. 1 overall seed after sweeping through Modesto Metro Conference play and rising up the United States Tennis Association junior rankings.

He talked long and loud about his time at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., and how that once-in-a-lifetime experience – trading shots with living legend Nick Bollettieri and the best junior players in the world – transformed his game.

Still, he had to back it up on the court against the section’s best.

Lewis was tested in his semifinal match with Monticello Empire League champion Daniel Mateescu, a freshman from Napa. Mateescu led 4-2 in the second set, forcing Lewis to labor beneath a warming sun for his 6-2, 6-4 victory.

Wadsworth already was in the clubhouse when Lewis wrapped up his match.

The extra rest served Wadsworth well in the final. With his hat pulled down on his brow and a steady return game, Wadsworth extended rallies and frustrated Lewis with his shot making.

Before long, he accomplished what no other player had since December: He took a set against Lewis, forcing a winner-take-all third. Lewis’ confidence was eroding, and he quickly found himself in a 3-1 hole to start the final set.

“I had thoughts in the back of my head that I would be the loser. I was getting negative with myself,” he said. “When I got the cramps, that was the worst.”

With the score 5-all, Lewis settled into a seated position in the far court, reaching for his calves. His father, Frederick Lewis III, and Gonzales helped stretch him out.

“I thought he had me,” Lewis said, “but I wanted to win so bad that I pushed through the pain and came back and won.”

That desire was fostered at the IMG Academy, where athletes take part in courses in mental conditioning. Various professional coaches and academy coordinators discuss the power of improved attitude, using examples and PowerPoint to hammer home their message.

“It taught me to never give up when you’re down,” Lewis said. “And when you’re up, stay focused and continue to finish the match.”

After 16 years without a south champion, Lewis doesn’t plan to relinquish his D-I crown.

“He wants to be that top player. You can see it when he goes out there,” Gonzales said. “He’s always pushing himself and doing what he can to accomplish those goals.”

This story was originally published June 13, 2015 at 6:44 PM with the headline "Mind game: Beyer’s Lewis digs deep to win Division I tennis title."