Laval, Quebec. Montreal’s largest suburb. Come for the bagels, stay for the tennis.
Vlad Lupu, a U12 junior who trains at Edmonton’s Saville Tennis Centre, has been in the hunt for a national title for some time now. Earlier this season, he fell just short at the Indoor National Championships, losing in the semifinals to the eventual champion.
Last week, alongside eight other Albertan teammates, he traveled to Laval, Quebec to compete at the Fischer Junior Nationals with the nation’s best. And this time he would not be stopped.
In singles, he powered through the draw, dropping only one set along the way to capture the long-awaited first national title. And he didn’t stop there.
In doubles, Vlad teamed up with BC’s Aidan Xue, and the pair were formidable. Their toughest test came in the semifinals, where they battled into a third-set tiebreak, only escaping by the narrowest of margins. In the championship match, the boys served up some Montreal-style bagels, winning 6-0, 6-0. Quite apropos.
The two titles mark another milestone in Lupu’s blossoming career. He’s already been playing up at U14 events this year. Now he’s officially graduated.
