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Jad Abdul-AAL Warren JFK singles
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Tennis
A normal warm spring or summer evening was usually spent at the Howland tennis courts. The Abdul-Aal boys, father Amine and son Jad, were always out there hitting from the time Jad was around 5 years old. By the time he was 11, he finally overtook his father.
“I let him go up 5-0,” Jad, a Warren JFK junior, said. “But I’d come back to beat him, 7-5.”
He made the Ohio state tournament for the first time this spring, only because he spent the previous two years at the Nick Bollettieri Academy in Bradenton, Fla. The boarding school specializes in all sports, but Abdul-Aal used the experience to hone his tennis skills.
“At first it was hard,” he said. “I was just 14. But my sister lived about 15 miles away. I got to be with her a lot. My mom would come down and visit often. I’d even come back home sometimes and play in tournaments.”
For the past year, he’s received countless emails, calls and letters from Division I and II schools.
“It’s all humbling,” he said. “This past summer, it hit me that tennis is my sport.”
The road to the state tournament started out fairly swifty for Abdul-Aal. He defeated Ben Moore of Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary, 6-3, 6-1 and Henry Grierson of Rocky River, 6-3, 6-3 in the district. His most crowning achievement was getting to Columbus in the first place.
In the first-round at state, nationally-ranked freshman Asher Hirsch beat him 6-4, 6-1.
“I’m well-prepared to go back to states next season,” said Abdul-Aal, who plans to be a doctor — like his father.