Scott Schnugg arrived in Kalamazoo in the wee hours of Sunday morning to watch little brother Nate play for the National Boys 16s title, bleary-eyed but eager to offer support.

But when the fifth seeded Schnugg dropped the opening set to third seed Steve Forman, the first set he had lost all week, he was the one who needed to be jolted awake.

?I definitely had jitters,? said Schnugg, 16, of Medford Oregon. ? and it didn?t seem like he did, so it was definitely a tough match for me at the start.?

Forman used his strong serve and forehand to take a quick 4-1 lead in the first set, but Schnugg, who trains at the Roddick Moros International Academy, began working his way into the match. After breaking Forman when he was serving for the set with a delicate drop shot, Schnugg could not work his way out of a 0-40 hole in the subsequent game and Forman had the set.

But Schnugg immediately applied the pressure at the beginning of the second.

?I started out a little too sloppy,? said Forman, ?and he took advantage. I built myself a big hole and the momentum shifted, and he got a lot of confidence. In the first set, I kept him down, but once he got confidence, he was too good,? said the sixteen-year-old from Del Mar California.

In the second set, Forman was down 4-0 before he knew it, and Schnugg breezed, winning it 6-1. After the mandatory ten-minute rest period, Schnugg returned to the court with his momentum intact, but even his 3-0 lead didn?t comfort him.

?When he broke me at 3-1, I was definitely getting a little scared,? said the big righthander. ?he was starting to serve a little better, but luckily I came out the next game and hit a couple of good returns.?

Those returns led to a 4-2 lead and when Schnugg got his big serve going in the next game, serving three aces, he was firmly back in control.

In the final game, Forman saved four match points before Schnugg?s stab volley gave him the championship

Having won the doubles title on Saturday with partner Dennis Lajola, Schnugg was asked which title he valued more.

?Singles is obviously a little more prestigious, but doubles, you share it with someone, so it?s a little more important.?

A sentiment Scott and his parents, who witnessed both titles, would surely echo.

Source: Colette Lewis (Tournament Office)