Kristian Kiland is in for a true test of tennis.
Kiland, the top junior player in the city, is traveling south for this weekend's Interior Open in Kelowna. On the hard courts, and probably under the hot sun, he'll match his considerable skills against some of the elite adults in the province.
Kiland still has a clear recollection of his experience at the Open last year. He was a first-timer in the tournament and got a rather rough initiation.
"I had to play the first seed in the first round," he said with a laugh. "I don't even think I got to deuce. There was nothing I could do. He was so good. He's the best player I've ever played against. I don't know how far away he is from being a professional but he's crazy-good."
In Kelowna, Kiland is entered in the singles draw and will also play doubles with his coach and brother, Jim Condon.
The Interior Open is part of the B.C. Summer Series. The rest of the Summer Series events are in the Lower Mainland, where the talent is as thick as a Friday afternoon rush hour.
One thing in Kiland's favour as he heads to Kelowna is that he's playing his best-ever tennis. He's fresh off a tour of Washington State, where he competed in junior tournaments in Walla Walla, Wenatchee, Spokane and Yakima. Kiland also went to Eugene, Ore., and played there. In all those events, he hit baseline bombs in the Champs division -- which is the highest bracket -- and won just as many matches as he lost. At the same gatherings last year, victories were rare.
"Last year I didn't win much because it was my first year playing at the highest level," said Kiland, a 17-year-old who stands six-foot-three. "I've improved a lot. I won some matches this time but still lost some because there are some players that are just on another level still."
One of the most noticeable improvements in Kiland's game is his serve. He follows the P90X home workout program religiously and that has made him much stronger. Added muscle has translated into more speed on his serve and, while he hasn't had it clocked, it's a serious weapon.
Kiland's physical skills are coming along nicely but Condon said the mental side of his game still needs some work.
"He's starting to play against some kids that have probably twice as much experience as he has so a lot of the stuff that he's working on this year is his decision-making during a match and that kind of thing," Condon said. "The kids he's playing, they're already really good at that because they've played twice as many matches or three times as many matches. His athleticism and talent is still great, but it's the mental learning that we're having to do."
Kiland started competitive tennis five years ago. His playing opportunities have been limited by the geographic location of his hometown, thus the road trips to tennis hot spots.
In September, Kiland will enter his Grade 12 year at Kelly Road secondary. In the long run, he's targeting a scholarship at a U.S. school.
"I don't really know where yet," he said. "We're making a recruitment video and we're going to send that out to a bunch of colleges."
