BOBBY ARDOIN Editor/Consulting Writer
Observe Daniel Chautin and Cooper Manuel on the tennis court long enough and it’s obvious they normally employ different strategies for achieving their collective successes.
The two Westminster Christian Academy seniors who have reached Division IV state tournament singles competition in consecutive years, are nonetheless studies in tactical contrast.
Chautin prefers the power game with high serve velocity and active net play, while Manuel maintains he is more confident using ground strokes, enabling him to control a match from the baseline.
Despite their opposing methods, both Crusaders’ players have displayed a consistency which has been demonstrated throughout their careers, says WCA tennis coach David Briley.
Manuel and Chautin have been elite regional players since they competed as freshmen. Manuel has been a regional champion, as both have competed in state singles matches.
“Cooper has always been consistent and he relies a lot on his quickness. With Daniel, its the power game. He is a big, strong kid, who also has a good ground game,” Briley adds.
If there is a similarly between Manuel and Chautin when it comes to playing high school tennis, it’s their adverse attitude at this points towards competing as doubles players.
Both players seem to prefer using their contrasting styles in an individualistic manner.
“We both like playing singles. Maybe when we were a lot younger, David and I might have played some doubles sets. At this point we both like to play just singles,” Manuel points out.
Should the pair decide to play a doubles match, Chautin said he would probably play the deuce court, while Manuel would be matched on the opposite side, attempting to seek advantages against teams on the other side of the net.
Chautin said his tennis game has improved partly due to Manuel, so why should either participate as doubles competitors?
“Watching Cooper play the way he does, really pushes me to do better,” Chautin says.
However Manuel said observing the manner in which Chautin handles opponents also elevates his game.
“I like having Daniel as a teammate, because as good as he is puts pressure on me to do better,” Manuel point out.
Manuel said tennis became his preferred sport through trial and error.
“I tried playing a bunch of different sports. After doing all that, I realized that tennis provided me with the type of competition that I liked,” Manuel adds.
During the 2022 state Division IV singles tournament, Manuel was seeded ninth, while Chautin was the No. 20 player. Both lost first-round sets.
Chautin was seeded fifth last year and lost in straight sets during the initial round. Manuel, playing at No. 32, won a first-round match, but lost in the second round to the state finalist from Christ-Episcopal.
Riley thinks the Crusaders could have more players reach regionals this spring.
“We have a very experienced team with a lot of seniors. Our key seniors are Issac Rust, Kamryn Brasseaux, Phallen Lindon and Gabriel Smith,” Briley adds.
