Baldwin School’s Izzy Antanavicius is Main Line Girls Athlete of the Week

The Baldwin School freshman posted a 9-1 record (6-0 Inter-Ac) at second singles and won a silver medal at the Inter-Ac Tournament. Baldwin head coach Jeff Sacks said, “Izzy possesses a serve that resembles a Division 1 collegiate serve by its speed. Her ground strokes are hit with depth and she punishes any ball that is hit short. Her volley is hit with precision. She has unlimited potential and more importantly a willingness to learn and improve.”

Q: What do you think is the strongest part of your game? What part of your game are you currently working on the most?

A: I guess I would say the power I put into my shots would be my strength. I’m a good deal taller than most of the girls I play so I have a bit more weight behind the ball, this makes it a bit more difficult for players to return my shots. At the same time, this does lead me to make a lot of errors. My coach and I are working to minimize those errors but at the same time making sure I maintain the same power.

Q: What is your sharpest memory of the Baldwin tennis season – can you share it with us?

A: Coming to the varsity tennis team as a freshman was a little nerve-racking – not only was I playing second singles but I was also one of the only freshmen on the team. With only two freshmen on the team and the rest upperclassmen, I was really worried I wouldn’t get along with any of the girls. Week after week, I was gaining many friendships and I didn’t feel like an underclassman anymore. Everyone was very welcoming and we all supported each other through anything inside and outside of tennis. Everyone felt part of the team, freshman or not.

Q: What do you think was your best match of the season, and what was working particularly well for you that day?

A: I would say my best match was probably against Lawrenceville. They have a very strong second singles player and she’s actually one of my best tennis friends! In past years she’s always been someone I’ve struggled to play against, sitting at a higher spot ranking wise in our section, I’ve always had a fear of playing her. Up until that match, I hadn’t “formally” beaten her and it was just an amazing feeling when I finally did! What won me that match was my positive and a “try your hardest” attitude. I knew she was going to be tough but I also knew that I was capable of beating her with the support of my family and friends.

Q: Who are your favorite tennis players? Do you try to pattern your game after any of them?

A: Ever since I was a kid, Maria Sharapova has always been one of my main role models. I try to watch most of her matches and even occasionally I watch her practice at places like the US Open and other ITF tournaments. I would say she’s one of my idols because we share the same game style. She’s a person that creates a lot of power and dominates with her serve and fast flying balls. I may not be accurate as her, but I naturally have a bit more power because of my height, and my serve is one of the best parts of my game, just like hers is for her.

Q: Tell us a little about your tennis career outside of Baldwin. What sparked your original interest in tennis?

A: When I’m not playing on the Baldwin tennis team I go to an academy called HPTA (High Performance Tennis Academy). There I participate in clinics where I play against many of the other ranked tennis players in my section. I also take private lessons with my coach Tom Gutteridge and hitting lessons with my other coach Mary Coleman. I spend pretty much every day, six days a week, on the tennis court either participating in clinics or taking lessons. On the weekends, all year, I compete in tournaments that are regionals, sectionals, nationals, and I’ve played a few international tournaments outside the US. I started playing tennis when I was about 9 or 10 years old. Inspired originally by my older brother who used to take a few lessons here and there, I thought it would be fun to try it out myself. With all of the other sports I played, I never really focused on tennis specifically until I turned 12, that was when I realized that I love tennis and that it was going to be my main sport.

Q: Who have been your top tennis mentors, and what was the most important thing you learned from them?

A: I would say, my current coach, Tom Gutteridge, and my father are my top tennis mentors. They support me and help me through tough situations. Before I first started working with Tom I couldn’t win a match. Every tournament, I would lose in the first round and leave home disappointed. Once I started working with him I had more wins than losses in just under a year! He greatly improved my technique and endurance on the court, I couldn’t be more thankful. My other top tennis mentor, my dad, was really there for me throughout my whole tennis journey. Without him, I don’t think I would be where I am today. As most tennis players know, coaches and academies change over time, that’s just how tennis is, but these changes can be hard. One coach telling you one thing while the other tells you to do the complete opposite, it’s not easy, but my dad was always there to support me through these changes. Whether they were positive changes or not, he is always there for me no matter what.

Q: Tell us a little about your pre-match preparation the day of a match.

A: On the day of a match, generally, I try to wake up and eat at least three hours before a match because I want to make sure I am awake and focused during my match. Within those three hours, I try to find a one-hour warm-up with either a coach or a good friend/doubles partner – dynamics, hitting, all of the basics to get my body warm before I go out and play. Then, right before I go on court I listen to music to make sure I’m focused and relaxed. I try not to stress about too much before a match so I keep my routine simple and easy.

Q:What is your favorite tennis venue, and why?

A: My favorite venue would be one near Pittsburgh called The Oxford Athletic Club. Almost every time I go there for a tournament I play very well. The directors are very kind and the refs are always fair. I just find it very “comforting”, and it’s near my hometown, Pittsburgh, so I get to see some friends while I’m there as well. However, I enjoy pretty much any indoor center, since indoor hard courts are my favorite kinds of surfaces.

Q:What is your favorite academic subject at Baldwin School? Is there a career path that particularly appeals to you at the present time?

A: My two favorite subjects are science (physics) and math (geometry and algebra II), I find those classes to be the ones that I look forward to every day. Growing up with two doctors in the family, I am inclined to consider pursuing being a doctor myself – that’s a career I am very interested in, but I have so many interests in the science and math world that I’m not quite so sure on what I want to pursue yet.

Fun facts – Izzy Antanavicius

Favorite book: Between Shades of Gray. by Ruta Sepetys.

Favorite author: John Green.

Favorite TV show: The Good Doctor.

Favorite movie: The Hunger Games.

Favorite athlete: Maria Sharapova.

Favorite pre-match pump-up song: “Anything top charts.”

Favorite team: “Philadelphia Eagles!!!”

Favorite place to visit: Australia.

Favorite pre-match meal: Any fruit.

Person I most admire: “My brother, Tadas because he is the hardest-working person I know and he’s definitely someone I look up to. As an entrepreneur and businessman, he has reached mountains only a few others have reached, I am just so happy to have such an amazing person in my life. I am so proud to be his loving sister.”

Family members: parents Ginta and Kristina, younger brother Benas, older brother Tadas.

(To be selected as Main Line Girls Athlete of the Week, a student-athlete must first be nominated by her coach.)