Friday, May. 09, 2008

It's all in the family for Hanford's Knox

By Rocky Morrow, Herald staff writer

Hanford junior Jake Knox may be the Falcons' No. 1 when it comes to singles competition, but he's the fifth in the Knox family to strike a commanding presence on the tennis courts.

As a matter of fact, the entire Knox family -- parents Rob and Judy, and sisters Kasey and Molly (both former Falcons standouts now playing collegiately) -- received the United States Tennis Association Pacific Northwest Family of the Year award in 2007 for their promotion and dedication to the sport, including volunteer time for fundraisers and clinics.

"It was a nice honor," said Judy, a player on the Tri-City Court Club's 5.0 team. "And we got to have a family gathering."

And it's possible that they will gather again. The Knox family is in the running -- out of a field of 16 -- for the USTA's 2008 National Family of the Year.

"It's exciting for us because we never pushed them into tennis," Judy said. "I wanted them to be involved in some exercise program, but it is impressive that they've excelled at tennis."

In the meantime, it's all business for Jake as he prepares for the CBL 3A district championships this weekend on his home courts, practicing between 90 and 120 minutes per day on his kick serve.

"I'm fine-tuning it, trying to hit my spots," he said. "Today I practiced for two hours."

It's a schedule that's paid off. Knox, 17, finished in second place in No. 1 singles at the Inland Empire tournament in Spokane last weekend, and he had a third-place finish at state in doubles, partnering with Hanford junior Curtis Lan in 2007.

According to tennisrecruiting.net, Knox is ranked No. 6 in the state, No. 11 in the Northwest and 799th nationally.

He is the top singles seed in this weekend's district tournament.

But off the court, Knox doesn't flaunt his success.

"Even though he's the best player on the team, you wouldn't know it," Falcons coach Jim Wilson said. "He's down to earth. What you see is what you get."

As a matter of fact, Knox is downright humble.

"Because I play a lot of USTA tournaments, I know there are a great deal many other players that can beat me and are better than I am," he said. "I know I'm a decent player, but not amazing. And I can't quite beat my dad yet, but it's been close."

How close?

"Last time we played we split sets," Knox said. "I can't remember the score, but I'll get him next time."

Whether he does or doesn't, Knox said that his father is his first choice for advice.

"For any technical or game strategies, I've listened to my dad," Knox said.

And Rob -- a pro at TCCC who also played at Richland High, Columbia Basin College and University of Idaho -- is quick to praise his son's development as a tennis player.

"He's coming on real strong," Rob said. "Improving day by day."

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