INDIANAPOLIS — A long, and successful run as Mt. Vernon High School’s No. 1 singles player came to an end for Adam Koon Friday.
Earning the team’s No. 1 spot as a sophomore, all-state honors as a junior, Koon had his final season reach the individual state tournament quarterfinals.
On Friday at Park Tudor High School, he lost his match to undefeated Tyler Li of Culver Academies, 6-0, 6-2.
Koon finished the season with a 24-4 record. He was 24-2 as a junior and finished 65-12 as a three-year starter.
“He had an exciting career,” Mt. Vernon head coach Graham McMullen said about Koon. “Finishing this year 24-4 and (winning all those matches in his) career, all at No. 1 singles. And, he didn’t really pick up a racket until after his freshman year, what can you be disappointed about?”
After a rough first set, Koon battled back in the second. He won his serve to open the set, but got broken his next time around to trail 2-1. He had Li down 0-40 and had another break point later, but Li pulled it out to grow his advantage to 3-1.
Koon won his serve to cut it to 3-2, but Li got the final three game.
“He’s a tough player, good player,” Koon said of Friday’s opponent. “I tried to fight and scrap. I played well, but he played better.
“God is good. I’m thankful for God, thankful for my teammates, coach Gabe (Muterspaugh), (athletic director) Mr. (Brandon) Ecker and coach Graham, especially, and my family.”
Li is 29-0 on the season and advances to the state semifinals Saturday morning.
“I don’t know how to describe (Li),” Koon added. “He wasn’t weak anywhere. That was his strength, solid smooth, everything.”
”All in all, those last three games, you will not see a cleaner ball hit out here than off of Tyler’s racket. Everything he was hitting was phenomenal,” McMullen said of Li.
“Now, it’s the next one up. You can’t sit here and say Mt. Vernon tennis isn’t going to be back, but you’ve got to say who is going to be next? That’s a lot of inspiration he has brought to, I would say, the entire community. You saw Greenfield kids out here, New Pal kids out here. It’s all about growing tennis in the community, not just one person going as far as they can.”
