OLEMISSSPORTS.COM
VERO BEACH, Fla. – When he visited Oxford a few weeks ago, Ole Miss men’s tennis alum Jonas Lutjen talked about overcoming injuries to get back on the court. Sunday, all the hard work and dedication paid off as he won his first career ITF Futures singles title, the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships.
Lutjen defeated Latvia Davis Cup member Martins Podzus in the singles final at The Boulevard Village and Tennis Club. The two battled back and forth in the first set to a tiebreaker, which Lutjen won 7-6(4) to strike first. He carried that momentum over to gain an early break in the second and held for 6-3 and his first singles title since turning pro after graduating from Ole Miss in 2013.
(File Photo)
Jonas Lutjen returns the ball during a match earlier this season.
“It’s an amazing feeling to finally get rewarded for the hard work it took to get through all the injuries and to get back in the right shape to compete for titles,” Lutjen said.
It was also the second time he beat Podzus, who has won three Futures events around the world this year.
“I remember that match, but it was six years ago…a lot has changed since then,” Lutjen said. “Last time we played was at a first round qualifying event somewhere in Germany. Playing the final against him on a bigger stage, is a lot more fun.”
After a short break, Lutjen was back on the court for the doubles championship with his partner, Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic. The two raced through the first set 6-1, but a late break allowed their opponents from the United States to take the second set 7-5. Lutjen and Kecmanovic won the deciding set 10-8 to take the title. It marked Lutjen’s third professional doubles title.
Lutjen’s transition from an All-American Rebel to the pros has not been without trial and tribulation. Multiple surgeries − first on his knee and then his groin − sidelined Lutjen for most of 2014 and 2015.
Finally healthy again, Lutjen reached the singles final earlier this year in Israel before coming over to the United States to visit Ole Miss and play in the Memphis, Little Rock and Vero Beach Futures.
While busy preparing the Rebels for postseason play, Head Coach Toby Hansson kept an eye on Lutjen’s results.
“We are all very happy for Jonas winning both the singles and doubles title this week,” Hansson said. “It is nice to see that all the work he has put into his tennis is starting to pay off.”
Lutjen will play the event in Tampa this next week, and then come back to Oxford for a few days before heading back home to Germany.
