MOVE over Nick Kyrgios, there's a new face eyeing a spot in the Australian Davis Cup team within the next 10 years.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Noah Pociask isn't even 10 years old yet and he's already a NSW state junior tennis champion.
The talented young prodigy won 11 of 12 sets on the way to claiming the 2019 Sawtell NSW Junior Claycourt Championship at Coffs Harbour last weekend.
It continued a golden run to start the year that has also seen him register two wins from the first three Junior Development Series events.
After giving more than 12 months advantage to some of his opponents, the win came as a surprise to the quietly spoken youngster who was appearing in his first state title event.
"I wasn't expecting to win because it was my first one," he said.
"Since I won other tournaments I looked at what I did right and knew if I kept doing it, I'd start to win more.
"If I can win one, I can win more."
Pociask admitted he needed to keep calm under pressure in the moments where things went wrong.
"When things weren't going my way I had to reset and continue to the next point because not everything is going to go my way every day," he said.
Coach Mark Rawlingson said he was also proud of his young charge's mental toughness at such an early age.
"It's a complex sport when you watch it on television, so imagine being a 10-year-old," he said.
"You've got to keep your cool, follow a game plan, be flexible on different opponents and cool under pressure.
"To do that in quarters, semi-finals and then finals against seasoned players, some of which Noah may not have beaten before is significant."
In the last 12 months the baseliner has added another string to his bow that made him a more complete player.
"A lot of kids are good baseliners, but not many develop at this age," Rawlingson said.
"We keep working on his volley so he comes to the net as a serve-volleyer.
"Of late he's learned how to come to the net and it's one of the things that got him through those tough matches."
The win means Pociask will gain an invitation to Australian championships which will help him continue to develop.
"I'm very proud of how quickly he's jumped another level and a half from playing JDS tournaments and winning those to winning a state title," Rawlingson said.
"It's a big deal."
He also combined with Cooper Monaghan to win the doubles title.
What else is happening in sport?
While you're with us, you can now receive updates straight to your inbox from the Port Macquarie News. To make sure you're up to date with all the news, SIGN UP HERE.