AFTER choosing up the sport solely 15 months in the past, Shane Stone is already ranked No. 2 in the US in padel.The racquet sport, which first surfaced in Mexico in 1968, is a doubles recreation on an enclosed courtroom 25 per cent smaller than a tennis courtroom, however with the identical scoring system and utilizing tennis balls with rather less stress.To not be mistaken for the game generally known as paddle tennis in Canada and the US, padel additionally bears similarities to squash as photographs could be performed off the partitions.Former nationwide tennis participant Stone was launched to the sport whereas he was nonetheless enjoying tennis tournaments in the US in April final yr.The previous Caribbean junior champion was chosen three weeks in the past to symbolize the US in two main worldwide padel tournaments within the subsequent few months.First up on the agenda would be the Pan American Workforce Championship in Mexico from Saturday.Nevertheless this can simply be an appetiser as the primary course is unquestionably the XV World Padel Championship in Doha, Qatar, in the course of November.Stone, a medical physician with a observe in Texas for over a decade, is eligible to play for the US as he’s married to an American.Nevertheless the 44-year-old needs that the game was performed right here and he may symbolize Trinidad and Tobago once more.Stone proudly flew the crimson, white and black flag within the Davis Cup on a report 9 events till 2006.It began in 1993 when at age 15, he turned the fourth youngest participant at the moment to compete on the planet’s premier group tennis competitors.Stone received 24 of his mixed 60 singles and doubles matches, however none was extra essential when he took the courtroom injured in Jamaica and defeated former Caribbean Championship gold-medallist Chad Valdez of Panama for T&T to keep away from relegation in 2001.Two years later, the previous prime 500 ranked junior on the planet represented the nation within the Pan American Video games, and after cruising by his opening match 6-0, 6-0, he was crushed 6-2, 6-2 by former world No. 1 Marcelo Rios of Chile in Dominican Republic.Stone, who has been based mostly in the US since age 16, was already on the skilled circuit presently, however due to a scarcity of funds he was solely in a position to play a couple of tournaments and was compelled to throw within the towel not lengthy after.The previous scholar of Rice College (Texas) managed to achieve a career-high rating of #1,043 in singles and #808 in doubles 20 years in the past.Stone, who’s already ranked #399 on the planet in padel, is enjoying in a match in California, USA, this weekend in preparation for the Pan Am task.
