Johnston’s toughest foe is his teammate

By Ted Allen

Published: April 9, 2008

FOREST — This is the fourth consecutive season Jefferson Forest senior Tyler Johnston has played second fiddle to Josh Ranowsky in the Cavaliers’ boys tennis singles lineup.
He doesn’t so much mind staying in shadows of the player he considers his best rival in the area.
“The best matches I’ve had have been with Josh,” Johnston said. “We always push each other in practice (and) we get along really well.”
However, he did everything in his power to try to overtake him in the offseason.
“I played a lot of tournaments this past summer to see if I could catch him,” said Johnston, who won the Commonwealth Games 18-under tournament and played in the Junior Match Point League at the Sports Racket over the winter.
But it was to no avail as Ranowsky held serve, and his stranglehold on No. 1, by winning a preseason, eight-game pro set challenge match 8-6.
“He’s gotten a lot closer this year,” Ranowsky said. “He beat me a couple of times and in the challenge match, I barely pulled it out. He could be No. 1.”
He even changed his game to mirror that of Ranowsky, who is more of a gambler compared to Johnston, who normally takes a conservative approach.
“He likes to try to attack more and get to the net whereas I tend to stay on the baseline,” Johnston said. “Because I’ve played him, I’ve learned that I need to attack more to be successful.”
Ranowsky’s game has benefited from the new tactical approach.
“Now, when I play better players, I look for the opportunity to come up to the net to finish points off,” Johnston said, though he’s rarely tested at No. 2 singles.
“That helps him a lot,” Ranowsky said. “He’s so much better at the net now.”
The two players are not only the best on the three-time defending Seminole District champion Cavaliers, but arguably the top two players in the district this spring.
“I can honestly say Tyler would be No. 1 on anyone else’s team,” JF coach Susan Ranowsky said.
Assistant coach Jeff Ranowsky says a subtle difference separates the seniors.
“Both of them have played together for quite a few years now (and) Josh has always been just a shade better than Tyler,” he said. “The small edge Josh has had on him over the years has been more mental than anything else.
“Stroke production-wise, their forehands and backhands are pretty comparable.”
Ranowsky’s aggressiveness in going to the net has usually given him the upper hand.
“Getting to the net is mental, too,” Jeff Ranowsky said. “Josh has the confidence to do that and Tyler has been a little more reluctant.”
One advantage Johnston has on Ranowsky is his serve.
“He really has a good second serve,” Susan Ranowsky said.
“His serve is probably the best part of his game.”
“I try to hold my serve and put the pressure on my opponent to hold his,” Johnston added.
“I try to keep (his serve and groundstrokes) as deep as I can so he can’t come up to the net.”
Johnston plans to study engineering next year at Virginia Tech, and won’t be continuing his career in college. But, after first picking up a racket at the age of 6, he plans to play the sport competitively for the foreseeable future.
Ranowsky, meanwhile, will be reunited with older brother Geoff next fall, with both receiving appointments to the United States Military Academy at West Point.
They plan to walk on to the tennis team and Ranowsky hopes to play doubles with his older brother again.
“It’d be kind of cool,” he said.
Though Josh Ranowsky plays No. 1 doubles and Johnston No. 2 to keep both teams strong this spring, they plan to pair up for the Region III tournament, if they can get there.
“Every time we’ve played together, we’ve done really well,” said Johnston, who played No. 1 doubles with Geoff Ranowsky as a freshman.
“Hopefully, we’ll be able to make it to the state tournament.”
The Cavaliers lost their first district match in four seasons against Brookville on March 18. But they are eager to meet the Bees in next Thursday’s home rematch and return to the Region III tournament as a team.
“Blacksburg has knocked us out twice in the last three years and Hidden Valley did the other year,” Johnston said, noting both of those teams are now in Region IV. “We have a young team. Hopefully, we can build experience throughout the season to go as far as we can.”