Gooch Rolls Into Semis at U.S. Open National Tennis Playoffs

NEW HAVEN, CONN. -- For Bethesda tennis player Damon Gooch, the dream of competing in the U.S. Open is just two matches away.

Competing in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open National Playoffs, held at the Connecticut Tennis Center at Yale University in New Haven, Conn., Gooch held off a spirited challenge from his opponent, Oleg Dmitriev of Dania Beach, Fla.. Despite coming within two points of losing the second set, Gooch managed to hold on for a 6-4, 7-6 victory.

 “I was probably just a little bit more patient out there than he was,” said Gooch. “When the match is as tight as ours was, it really is little things like that which make the difference.”

After prevailing in a tight first set, Gooch appeared to be in command after taking a 4-1 lead in the second set, with game points for 5-1, but Dmitriev continued to play scrappy defensive tennis. Forcing an error out of Gooch on his first game point and then prevailing in a seven-deuce game afterwards, Dmitriev leveled the match on serve at 4-4.

However, a forehand error from Dmitriev gave the break back to Gooch at 5-4, and he closed out the match on his third match point when his opponent dumped a forehand into the net.

“It actually worked out in the end that he was starting to go for his shots more,” said Gooch. “I was pretty tight on my shots and he was trying to take advantage, but just didn’t execute. It’s something that I got away with today, but won’t be able to get away with tomorrow.”

Gooch will play his semifinal match on Saturday against Blake Strode of St. Louis, the defending champion and No. 1 seed in the event. Strode, with a current world ranking of No. 447, has dropped just four games in his two matches so far.

“At this level, everybody can hit the ball very well, but it’s the intangibles that separate someone like him from the rest of the pack,” said Gooch. “He has confidence in his ability to hit winners when he needs to step up, and that comes from playing a lot of matches and winning them.”

Gooch was born and raised in South Africa, where he was the No. 1 ranked junior player in the country for doubles, but moved to the U.S. to play college tennis at Elon University in North Carolina from 2005-2009.

After graduating, he began competing on the USTA Pro Circuit, the equivalent of the minor leagues in baseball. He moved to Bethesda with his girlfriend, now a teacher in the public school system in Washington, D.C., and started to train at the Champions Tennis Center in College Park.

“I can’t say enough good things about the center,” said Gooch. “They have amazing facilities and staff, and it’s a great place for anyone who wants to breakthrough as a pro tennis player or is considering it.”

For Gooch, that breakthrough might be just a couple of days away.