Before playing in a few ITF Men's World Tennis Tour tournaments together this summer, good friends and former University of Illinois teammates Hunter Heck and Siphos Montsi met in the finals of the Ray Simon Open at the Toledo Tennis Club on Sunday.
With both players coming to this week's tournament in Toledo hoping to work through injuries and find a high level of play, the two navigated through the 44-man singles draw before Heck outlasted Montsi 6-4, 6-1 to win his third straight Ray Simon Open championship.
“I really surprised myself this week,” Heck said. “I was coming off a groin injury this week — a little groin strain — and I was out for the past two months. I know my opponent in the final Siphos was also dealing with some injuries. For both of us to come out and make the final, I think it was a really good tournament for us going into our future tournaments. I was feeling good the past few days and I wasn't expecting to be moving or serving this well. So I really surprised myself and was able to feel healthy enough to come out with the win.”
Heck, who was a three-time All-Big Ten performer at Illinois, fended off an early break from Montsi and trailed 3-1 before winning five of the final six games of the first set.
Then in the second set, Heck cruised, serving up an ace on match point to cap off his third straight win at the annual tournament held at the Toledo Tennis Club.
“He came out really hitting the ball well and putting me on the defense early,” Heck said. “He was really pouncing on the first ball off of his serve and I was definitely feeling that pressure. I think as the match went on, he didn't do it as much, which gave me a little more time and there wasn't as much pressure on me and I was able to dig into a few more of his service games and get those break opportunities. It was a huge sigh of relief getting that first set. It was very tight and I thought it definitely could have gone into a tiebreaker. There were a couple of really tight points that I was able to pull out and then in the second set I was playing more relaxed and with more confidence.”
Montsi finished his college career at the University of Oklahoma after beginning at Illinois and playing for two years alongside Heck.
“I just feel like it was few points in the first set,” Montsi said of the difference in Sunday's match. “I just had a little slip of focus on one or two points there when I was up a break. I was feeling comfortable but just missed a couple of first serves and that made a difference when he eventually broke. Then after that first set, he just grew in confidence and I just kind of lost it a little bit there.”
Like Heck, Montsi was glad to have a healthy week in Toledo. He said it was nice to be in the final against a longtime friend with both showing a high level of play.
“It's always fun to play against Hunter,” Montsi said. “We've played so much and it's crazy how much he's grown. It's always cool to play him and I'm proud and happy to see how he's playing. This is the best week I've had since November coming back from injury. I'm happy and looking forward to the pro events and happy to be playing healthy again.”
Heck will hit the road for an ITF tournament in East Lansing, Mich., this week, and the two will join up for ITF tournaments in Champaign, Ill. and Edwardsville, Ill.
The International Tennis Federation (ITF) Men's World Tour is the lowest rung of professional tennis, with the results used in ATP rankings that help players progress to the ATP Challenger Tour and then the ATP Tour.
“After a little bit of time off trying to heal, this tournament was great to get my confidence back a little bit,” Heck said. “Going to all these professional events, it's lonely. It's tough. You are traveling every week, week-to-week to these random places and just trying to win matches against all great opponents. It's definitely a grind, but over the next few weeks, a couple are in Illinois and East Lansing, so I'll have teammates and friends there to make it a little more fun and a little less lonely to play in those events.”
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