FARMVILLE, Va. – Longwood University sophomore men’s tennis standout Harry Kelleher is this week’s Longwood Male Athlete of the Week. Kelleher was one of just two Lancers to represent Longwood in singles competition at the USTA/ITA Atlantic Regional Championships on October 18-22, turning in a 2-1 record at the event. With the No. 2 seed in the Qualifications Draw, Kelleher earned a bye in the qualification semifinal before defeating Ian Uriguen of Virginia (6-2, 6-0) in the qualification final. He then moved on to the main draw, beating Jordan Dyke of George Mason (0-6, 6-3, 6-4) in his round of 128 match before falling to Lucas Oliveira of Virginia Tech (6-4, 3-6, 3-6) in the round of 64.
Question and Answer Session with Harry Kelleher and Bethany Drury
BD: How did it feel to compete at such a high level of competition at the regional championship?
HK: It was a pretty good feeling. The warm up tournaments were good and I haven’t played at that level in a long time. It was good to see all the practice and training pay off. At first I thought I’d be out of my depth, but I was confident and it felt good.
BD: Do you have any pre-match rituals?
HK: Not really. I just jump rope and jog around the court.
BD: Did you do anything differently to prepare for the regionals?
HK: It was better mentally. I tried to focus, but not too much on winning or losing, just playing my game and relaxing on the court.
BD: Why did you decide to play tennis?
HK: I went to a kid’s tennis camp once and I really enjoyed it. I enjoyed competing and I guess I was naturally good at it, so I stuck with it.
BD: Who is your favorite tennis player?
HK: Novak Djokovic
BD: Do you have any role models?
HK: I have learned a lot from my parents, my morals and all that. They’re very cool people.
BD: Why did you pick Longwood?
HK: My friend, who is also from Australia, went here and encouraged me to come. I really wanted to come over to the States.
BD: Why did you want to go to college in America instead of Australia?
HK: The culture is a lot better here. In Australia, most kids travel to university. There’s not really a college life or passion for university, and I wouldn’t get to play tennis because they wouldn’t have the facilities.
BD: What do you miss most about home?
HK: Being close to the beach, and my family and friends.
BD: Do you have any interests outside of tennis?
HK: I like music and playing my guitar. I also like to study and get good grades.
BD: What is your major and what do you hope to do professionally?
HK: I’m majoring in exercise science and I want to do physiotherapy.
