The year may be winding down, but Selkirk Sparta Pro Rafa Lenhard is kicking it into high gear. Coming off a singles gold medal run at the Raleigh PPA Challenger this past weekend, Lenhard used his earned wild card to bypass the qualifiers at the Daytona Beach Open this week. Now, Lenhard is on his way to his first-ever Semifinal Saturday in Daytona after pulling off the biggest upset of the tournament so far: taking down No. 1 seed Federico Staksrud.
Lenhard and Staksrud last faced off at the Lifetime Open back in October, where Staksrud walked away with a 11-1, 11-1, 11-5 victory. This time, wielding the Selkirk LABS Boomstik, Lenhard looked in peak form, with his power and incredible athleticism on full display.
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After dropping the first game 4-11, Lenhard bounced back to take the second, 11-6. In the third game, each point seemed to rise in intensity, with both players exchanging better shots and playing with growing confidence. Down 7-10 in the third, Lenhard played his game, threading the needle on multiple plays and forcing errors from the No. 1 seed. Winning four consecutive points, Lenhard closed the match 12-10 with an ATP.
Lenhard now looks to keep the momentum going into Semifinal Saturday, where he will face Gabe Joseph.
