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***Jesse is 15, he started playing tennis at age 12, he was a rep soccer player, played basketball, football and baseball, rep level as well… Not a bad athlete. Started at the Oakville Club with Australian Steve Taylor then went to the Tennis School with Dani Naraizznao for the last year and a half. He now trains at ACE Tennis in Burlington. Last week he received the last spot from Ontario to the Canadian U 16 Nationals in Montreal. In the first round he beat third seed Akhil Mehta from Alberta 7-6 [5], 3-6, 7-5 in the third for the biggest upset of the event. Today he beat Alexander Berdnikoff also of Alberta 7-5, 6-3 to qualify for the quarter finals in his first national championship.***

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ONcourt: How does it feel to be called a rookie by your teammates and now you are in the quarters when some of them are out of the tournament?

Jesse Flores: Feels very lucky, fortunate, I can at least trash talk with Martin Beran, Daniel Hoang, Penfield Binet and Andreas Olave.

ONcourt: You seem calm on court, are you?

JF: I would say I am very calm and very relaxed on and off the court, I am very laid back and really don’t have many worries.

ONcourt: You really seem to love playing. Is tennis different than all those other sports or do you feel the same?

JF: The sports are the same in the attitude you must bring to the competition, but it is completely different because it’s you and your opponent , one on one, not a team and you can’t rely on anybody else.

ONcourt: What is the reaction at home with this sudden success?

JF: They are surprised, they think I’m kidding when I tell them I won; they are very happy and also happy that their investment in my tennis is bringing results

ONcourt: Tomorrow the quarters, how will you approach that?

JF: The same as my last two matches, not thinking ahead, just taking one step at a time, playing my game and staying focus.