Kinstler heads for Big Apple

It’s an exciting time for Lyndsay Kinstler, who will celebrate a few

big “firsts” during the month of September.

The Laguna Beach resident will not only enter her first year of

school at Laguna Beach High -- where she will be a junior -- but

she’ll also be enrolled at the prestigious, 2005 U.S. Junior Tennis

Championships.

The seven-day event runs Sept. 5 through 11 at the United States

Tennis Assn.’s National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y.

Kinstler earned a wild-card berth in the main draw of 32.

The tournament will begin with qualifying round play prior to the

main draw.

The Junior tournament coincides with the U.S. Open, which begins

Monday and concludes Sept. 11.

“This is really an exciting time,” Kinstler said. “I’ve never been

to the U.S. Open and I’ve never been to New York. I’m really excited

to have this opportunity.”

The 16-year-old, who previously attended Cornelia Connelly High, a

private, all-girls parochial school in Anaheim, earned a berth in the

Junior national tournament by winning the United States Tennis Assn.

Girls’ 16s National Tennis Championships in San Diego earlier this

month.

Kinstler defeated Maria Sanchez of Modesto in the division final,

7-6 (7-2), 4-6, 7-5, at the Barnes Tennis Center.

Kinstler is ranked fifth nationally in the 16s division and was

the tournament’s No. 3 seed.

Sanchez was the No. 4 seed.

Kinstler won four, three set matches during the tournament, and

each of the four tiebreakers she played.

She said she was more surprised, than exhausted, after the

tournament.

“I had o7a lot f7of three-setters,” she said. “It definitely

wasn’t an easy tournament, but I was somewhat surprised by winning

it. Not that I didn’t think I had a chance to win, but it takes a lot

to win it. I just hung in there.”

Kinstler said she began playing tennis at age six. For the past

five years, she has been under the guidance of coach Tom Loucks, whom

she credits with helping shape her game.

“He’s helped me in every aspect of my game and has helped

eliminate my weaknesses, and I several of them, when I first started

with him,” she said.

Kinstler says her strong points in her game are her forehand and

backhand.

“I like my all-around game,” she said. “I really like to come to

the net, something other girls tend not to do. But I also like to mix

things up on the court.”

Sticking to a game plan she knows best worked to Kinstler’s

advantage in San Diego.

“I think Lyndsay was able to win that national championship

because, obviously, of her hard work, but also because she had a lot

more variety in her game than most of the other girls in the

tournament,” Loucks said. “She really does like to come to the net

and is not afraid to volley, which creates problems for her

opponents. They normally don’t see that.”

This week, Kinstler tried out for the varsity tennis team at

Laguna Beach High.

That tryout, combined with preparing to leave Sept. 3 for the U.S.

Junior Tennis Championships, which will be held during the first week

of school, makes for a busy start to the school year.

“I’m excited about everything, though” she added. “I know a couple

of girls on Laguna’s team, and I hope to be joining them on the team.

It’s going to be a couple of busy weeks for me, that’s for sure.”