Ann Li doesn’t love airplanes.

She enjoys traveling, but long trips can sometimes get to her a little bit.
“Airplanes can be a little annoying,” she said with a laugh. “I like traveling, but it just depends.”
Flying home with a title made her most recent trip worth it.
After winning a gold ball in July at the USTA Junior Clay Court Championships, Li followed up with another doubles title at the Hard Court Championships in San Diego Aug. 8. Competing in the 16s, the experience is teaching Li that hard work and setting goals truly pays off.
“This summer I’m doing pretty well,” said the Devon, Pa. native. “We’ve been working on a lot of shot selection, and now, consistency.”
Two titles in a row prove that the consistency is a plus in Li’s game. Training at Legacy Youth Tennis and Education with coach Jon Glover, she’s seen all parts of her game come together in the recent months.
“I’m finishing more points at the net, and my serve is improved,” she said.
Li is a standout singles player, but has especially exceled in doubles this summer. Both gold balls have come with teammate Natasha Subhash, who she met playing various tournaments over the years. The two have become friends and appear – at least so far – almost unbeatable on the court.
“We work really well together,” Li said of Subhash, who is from Maryland. “We communicate well.”
Together, the duo has never lost a tournament. They’re 2-0 at nationals, and also took home a title at Westtown during an 18s Level 2 event.
Li’s summer is nearly coming to an end, but she has big plan for the remainder of the year and into 2016. She said she plans on continuing to play national tournaments, as well as ITF events, which she began playing in January.
For more information on USTA Junior Tournaments, or junior tennis as a whole, click here.