Daily Pilot Athlete of the Week, Natalie Braverman: Hands-on

approach

Barry Faulkner

Natalie Braverman didn’t start out trying to merge an unorthodox

grip with an unusual style. It just kind of turned out that way.

And when, beginning last summer and carrying into the fall, the Newport

Harbor High sophomore began beating players who had perennially had her

number, it wasn’t with individual glory in mind.

But now that she’s gone 27 singles sets without losing and also mixed in

a 3-0 cameo doubles sweep for Orange County’s No. 1-ranked girls tennis

team, she figures she may as well strap in for the ride.

“I didn’t have any individual goals at the beginning of the season, but

people started talking about this whole undefeated thing,” Braverman

said. “And I kind of liked the sound of it.”

The sound of Braverman’s booming baseline deliveries is beginning to

register fear in her opponents. But it’s her two-handed grip on the

backhand and forehand, which people first notice about this

double-barreled backcourt bomber.

“I kind of picked (the two-handed technique) up on my own,” said

Braverman, who picked up a racquet at age 4 and began swinging it with

enough competitive purpose to enter her first junior tournament at 7. “By

the time anyone thought much of it, it was too late to change. But it’s

just as well, because it has turned out to be my weapon in the end.”

But while her two-fisted flurries are enough to set her apart, her

ability to execute aggressively near the end line makes her doubly

distinct.

“I’m not a retriever or a pusher back there,” said the Daily Pilot

Athlete of the Week, who swept six singles sets, including a 6-4

come-from-behind triumph against reigning Sea View League singles champ

Susanna Lingman of Woodbridge last week. She also teamed with Kelly

Nelson to sweep in doubles against Laguna Hills to round out three Sailor

victories in as many days (Oct. 5-7). “I’m a hitter. I impose my style on

my opponents. I was never really taught a style of play, it’s just what

came naturally.”

Winning has also become second nature for Braverman, who made the Round

of 16 at the 16s hardcourt nationals in San Diego in June, made the

finals of the Southern California sectionals in Fountain Valley, and also

won a USTA regional qualifying tournament to represent the Western United

States in the Pineapple Cup, scheduled Nov. 9 in Hawaii. Ranked No. 5 in

the 16s, she carried that momentum into her second high school season.

“She came in her freshman year and was a very, very strong player,”

Newport Coach Fletcher Olson said. “But she’s made a lot of progress this

year. She’s very determined and she’s gotten better and better. She moves

the ball with a lot of pace and she’s very accurate.”

Braverman acknowledges her recent improvement, but hasn’t spent much time

analyzing it.

“This is the best I’ve played and the biggest improvements I’ve made,”

she said. “I can’t really put my finger on it, but everything just seems

to be coming together. Sometimes people just make jumps in their game. I

just made a large one; the biggest one I’ve made in awhile.”

Braverman, whose older sister Brandis plays professionally on the

Challenger circuit (the tennis equivalent of triple-A baseball), said she

is gratified by her recent success. But she’s also motivated by it.

“I pretty much play every day, but if I feel like I need a day off, I’ll

take it. I’ve always had a competitive spirit and I’ve been focusing

lately on my desire to win.”

Braverman, who lost two sets to Lingman last season, was down, 4-2,

before winning the final four games of the set Oct. 7.

“(The Lingman match) was kind of ironic, because last year when I played

her at Harbor, I was up, 4-0, and lost the match. This year, I reversed

that.”

Further proof of her determination came Wednesday, when she rallied from

a 5-1 deficit to defeat Corona del Mar rival Nadia Vaughan, 7-6. She

split two matches with Vaughan last fall.

“When I get down, I start focusing more and try to be more aggressive,”

she said. “I can’t let the other player dictate the points. That’s not my

style of play.”

Braverman’s style, however unique, figures to continue to get results.