Unbeaten in the USA

Published 11:23 pm Monday, April 28, 2008

Here’s how good Ivana Krommelova is on the tennis court: The 17-year-old said she can’t remember the last time she lost a match.

Krommelova is an exchange student from Slovakia who attends Arlington High School. She has created a buzz this spring with her dominant performances for the Eagles.

It’s difficult to find a flaw in Krommelova’s game, Arlington girls tennis coach Sean Cunningham said.

“Nothing fazes her. She’s very tough.”

Through last week Krommelova, a junior, was 11-0 as Arlington’s No. 1 singles player. And she hasn’t merely won; she’s been almost untouchable.

In her first eight official matches this season Krommelova didn’t lose a single game. That means she won 6-0, 6-0 every time — a very unusual streak for any tennis player. Although she couldn’t exactly recall, she said she hasn’t lost a match since sometime this past summer in Slovakia.

Before the spring season began Krommelova played against boys at a tennis club in Mill Creek. Based on her ability, the boys told Krommelova she wouldn’t lose a game the entire season.

“I didn’t think it was possible, seriously. I was like, ‘Oh yeah. They’re just kidding me,’” said Krommelova, who at age 6 started playing tennis and began speaking English five years ago.

Krommelova nearly made the boys’ prediction come true. Her streak of winning games finally ended April 23 in Arlington during a 6-2, 6-0 victory against Oak Harbor’s Jennifer Jansen.

After the match, Krommelova said she couldn’t pinpoint what went wrong. But a clue came midway through the first set. Jansen, a tall player with a powerful serve, won a game to get within 3-2. During a break in the action Krommelova immediately walked off the court and rushed to the locker room.

What was wrong? It turns out Krommelova was ill.

“I felt like I was going to (throw up) so I was like, ‘I have to go,’” she said.

Krommelova said she felt sick enough that she considered forfeiting the match. But a responsibility to her teammates convinced her to play through it, she said.

For Krommelova, team goals are a new concept. In Slovakia — her home is in the city of Nove Zamky — high schools don’t offer sports, she said, so athletes compete as individuals for independent organizations. In other words, they play only for themselves.

That all changed for Krommelova when she signed up for an exchange program and was matched with a host family in Arlington. This past fall she instantly noticed how different the atmosphere is at an American high school.

“There is no school spirit in Slovakia in high school. When I came to (an Arlington High) football game I was like, ‘Oh my god, what’s that?’ Everybody was wearing blue and gold and white and jumping, dancing, screaming and yelling. It was amazing.”

As unusual and exciting as school spirit is to Krommelova, tennis excellence is equally out of the ordinary at Arlington High. Although it’s performed fairly well this season, Arlington’s girls tennis program hasn’t historically been very competitive.

With a quiet, methodical approach, Krommelova has helped boost the confidence of Arlington players, Cunningham said. She has a chance to go further than any Eagles player since the late 1970s, he said.

“For us, the potential for what she can do would set a precedent for our program that we haven’t seen in a long time,” said Cunningham.

One of the first things an observer is likely to notice about Krommelova is her serve. She uses uncommon accuracy to gradually push opponents toward the edge the court, then hits a blast down the middle, Cunningham said.

But that’s not the most intriguing thing about Krommelova’s serve. The attention-grabbing element is her toss: She flips the ball at least 7 feet above her head before drilling a serve to her opponent’s side of the court.

Most players toss the ball about half that high. Several coaches tried to change Krommelova’s unorthodox style, Krommelova said, but not Cunningham.

“You don’t coach it out of her — whatever works,” he said.

Overall, Krommelova has a complete game, Everett girls tennis coach Tim Boyd said: “Her precision with a variety of shots makes her a tough competitor.”

When the school year ends Krommelova must return to Slovakia and complete her final year at Gymnazium Nove Zamky, her school in Slovakia. But she hopes to accomplish a lofty goal before heading home.

“My big goal is to win state,” said Krommelova. “That’s all I want. That’s all I care about.”

To qualify for the Class 3A state tournament, Krommelova, who hopes to eventually play for an American college and maybe turn pro someday, must finish first or second at the 3A District 1 tourney (May 15-16 at Arlington High).

No matter what happens, Krommelova has already made a positive impact at Arlington.

Said Cunningham, “She’s provided confidence in my other girls and that’s a big step.”

Writer Mike Cane: mcane@heraldnet.com. Check out the prep sports blog Double Team at cmg-northwest2.go-vip.net/heraldnet/doubleteam.