WATERVILLE, Maine — Luka Stevic came to America late last summer in part to experience a different culture and to fine-tune his academic standing.
When he departs for his native Serbia next weekend, the senior boarding student from Lee Academy hopes to have to make room in his luggage for a special souvenir — a championship plaque — symbolizing yet another aspect to his year abroad.
The undefeated and third-seeded Stevic will face No. 2 Isaac Salas of Portland’s Waynflete School in one of two boys tennis state singles semifinals scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Monday at the Racket and Fitness Club in Portland.
Top-ranked Nick Mathieu of Mount Ararat of Topsham will play another boarding student from Serbia, No. 4 Teodor Antelj of Fryeburg Academy, in the other semifinal, with the winners to square off at 1 p.m. for the championship.
“I would like to win, but the first goal is to give my best and when I give my best I’m satisfied,” said Stevic. “There are really good players here. I’ve watched most of them and there are going to be very good matches.”
One girls semifinal will match two-time defending champion Olivia Leavitt and No. 4 seed and Falmouth teammate Julia Brogan, with No. 2 Bethany Hammond of Belgrade and Saint Dominic Academy of Auburn facing No. 3 Rosemary Campanella of Wells in the other semi.
Stevic grew up playing soccer, handball and tennis in his native Sasak, Serbia, a city of approximately 100,000 residents.
After first picking up a tennis racket at age 10 he quickly developed into one of his nation’s top age-group performers while playing in club competitions primarily on clay courts.
Stevic became West Serbia’s top-ranked junior in the 14-and-under and 16-and-under divisions and was ranked sixth nationally in the U-16 ranks — not bad in a country that has produced the current No. 1 men’s player worldwide in Novak Djokovic.
“There were really good kids playing who weren’t going to school,” said Stevic of his experience at various European tournaments. “They weren’t regular student-athletes, they were just athletes. It was kind of their job.”
No one at Lee knew of Stevic’s tennis background when he arrived on campus — his athletic experience at the school before the current season was as a member of the Pandas’ soccer and basketball teams.
“Soccer went very well,” said Stevic. “Basketball I was not so good, but I love playing.”
The 6-foot-3-inch Stevic displayed a diversified tennis skill set while advancing to the semifinals with two straight-set victories Saturday at Colby College.
During his 6-1, 6-0 Round of 16 win over Matthew Jarmusz of Morse High School in Bath, Stevic adjusted his strategy to cope with a defensive-minded opponent with the determination to track down a lot of potential winners.
“He was a good player,” said Stevic. “He was pretty constant from the baseline. He wasn’t making easy mistakes and he could run balls down. I needed to serve well and make him run wide and back and forth and make the points shorter. He liked long points, so I would come forward and take the ball when it was rising.”
Stevic followed up that victory by using his serve and powerful forehand to score a 6-1, 6-1 quarterfinal win over 11th-seeded Tristan Rother, a German boarding student from Fryeburg Academy.
“I think classic strokes, outstanding coaching somewhere — and I won’t take any credit — and just his personal psychological balance are the big things with Luka,” said Lee Academy tennis coach John Dow. “He rarely overextends himself, and that’s tied to his personality. He’s a very contained and balanced person and and it shows up in his game.
“He also plays each point two or three strokes away. He doesn’t just hit the ball back, there’s a strategy involved in his game. He moves in a very controlled manner. He’s never physically out of control.”
Dow hopes the blend of physical size and strength, tennis techniques and composure will produce a championship result Monday as Stevic faces his toughest matches since coming to America.
“There are some very, very talented ballplayers here who are probably every bit as good as Luka and are more match-hardened,” Dow said.
“We haven’t had many intense matches but we’re going to now, and his strength of psychology will tell a lot. Obviously his physical strength is impressive, but tennis isn’t as much physical as it is a mental game and that’s where I think he’s like a steel trap.”
