How an unlikely Andover girls tennis pairing has become state contender for doubles title
The pairing of one of the top high school basketball recruits in Kansas and an experienced player from a strong tennis family has given the Andover girls tennis team one of the best doubles teams in the state this season.
Brooke Walker and Anna Jittawait may seem like an unlikely duo, but they have found a way to bring out the best in one another.
In their second straight year playing doubles together, the pair of juniors have compiled a 26-2 record and a favorable seed for the Class 5A state tournament, a 2-day event which begins Friday on their home courts at the Andover District Tennis Complex.
“We’re able to feed off of each other and our athleticism takes over and our mindset is to just go out there and compete,” Walker said. “Our goal is to win state, which would be amazing if we could make that happen. We know what we have to do and if we play our games, then I think things will take care of themselves.”
The pairing actually came together for the postseason of their freshman year, which led to them playing together for all of last season and reaching the Class 5A semifinals before finishing third at the state tournament.
The Jittawait family is no stranger to success on the tennis court, as Anna has been a strong player for years now. Meanwhile, her partner, Walker is better known for being one of the top girls basketball players in the state, but is a talented tennis player in her own right.
Andover coach Stephen Alexander finds that they compliment each other well.
“Brooke is probably the most competitive athlete I’ve ever coached in two decades of coaching,” Alexander said. “She just has this hunger to win and compete and she’s kind of rubbed off on Anna. They work so well together because Anna is so good at hitting hard, cross-court shots and Brooke is just a monster at the net.”
Walker’s prowess at the net is enhanced by the quality of shots that Jittawait is able to play from the back line. Both possess above-average athleticism, which makes them an even more formidable duo.
“My absolute favorite game to play is when it’s my serve and Brooke is at the net,” Jittawait said. “If I hit a good serve, then she’s going to poach the heck out of it and that gets me even more fired up for my serve.”
While each has improved their games, Walker and Jittawait said they believe they have taken a significant step forward because of their mental games. They have focused this season on picking each other up when the other makes a mistake and keeping positive energy on their side of the court.
That could be the difference this season in their pursuit of a state doubles title.
“We have so much experience together that we didn’t really have to change how we played this year,” Jittawait said. “Having her on the court with me again and her positivity is so incredibly helpful. We know how to play to our strengths and we play really well together.”
Kansas high school girls tennis state tournament schedule
Dates: Friday and Saturday
Class 6A at Riverside Tennis Complex in Wichita
Class 5A at Andover District Tennis Complex
Class 4A at Harmon Park Tennis Complex in Prairie Village
Class 3-1A at Kossover Tennis Center in Topeka
This story was originally published October 13, 2022 at 7:00 AM.
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