Deaf 12-Year-Old Wins Eddie Herr Tennis Tournament

Among the thousands of players who converged on Bradenton for last week's 2010 Eddie Herr International Junior Tennis Championship, Lee Duckhee was one of the fortunate ones to receive congratulations from complete strangers and requests to pose for photographs as the event progressed.

While Duckhee was dominant, there was nothing flashy about his route to the Boys 12s singles championship. He charged the net when he had to and shook his fist in celebration after hitting a winner just like any other player in the midst of a spectacular run.

"Duckhee is just another regular kid, but an extremely talented tennis player," said Rick Workman, who has served as the tournament director of the Eddie Herr International for the last 20 years. "He and the rest of the Korean team have been very well-behaved. They compete fiercely. I just love having them here."

With one exception, Duckhee was just like the rest of the participants that played in four different girls singles divisions, four different boys singles divisions, four boys doubles divisions, four girls doubles divisions and four mixed doubles divisions from Nov. 25-Dec. 5.

Duckhee was born deaf.

Those aware of Duckhee's story would stop and watch several points of his matches. Many came away amazed and inspired.

"(People) respect him because he plays very well (despite) not being able to hear," Korea Elementary Tennis Federation Director Kim YoungHoon said through interpreter and 12-year-old player Donna Kim.

Although he takes instruction in his native language by reading lips and communicates scores and calls, Duckhee is at a distinct competitive disadvantage.

"For him to be able to play at this level of tennis without the advantage of hearing the ball hit the strings is phenomenal because that is a huge part of telling how fast that ball is coming at you," Workman said. "The sound of the ball tells a highly competitive player about how fast that ball will come and how they have to set up and prepare to hit that shot. He does it all with his eyes, and he only has that split-second from the time that ball hits that racquet until it is in his space."

A year after becoming the first 11-year-old semifinalist in tournament history, Duckhee played the minimum of 10 sets en route to claiming the singles championship. He also won the Mixed Doubles 12s championship with Lim Haeun and teamed with Lee Youngseck to place second in the Boys 12s doubles championship to fellow Korean players Oh Chanyeong and Chung Yunseong

His fifth straight-set singles win of the tournament was a 6-0, 6-1 victory over American Michael Mmoh, who gained entry to the main draw through a qualifying tournament, in the age group's Dec. 3 championship match. A few hours before the win over Mmoh, Duckhee survived his toughest set of the tournament by winning a tiebreaker in an eventual 7-6 (8), 6-1 semifinal victory over Sweden's Mikael Wondwosen. 

The tiebreaker looked like it may have got the best of Duckhee as Wondwosen broke his serve to start the second set, but Duckhee responded by winning each of the match's final six games.

"When he was coming here from Korea, he was thinking about his game," YoungHoon said. "He has a very strong heart." 

YoungHoon was aware of the history surrounding the tournament and the players who have trained under Nick Bollettieri and the staff of . He feels a move may be necessary for Duckhee to capitalize on his abilities and follow paths blazed by former Eddie Herr competitors such as Andy Roddick and Roger Federer.

"He has to practice at a good place with a good teacher to be a good player," YoungHoon said. "We play tennis in Korea from a school, but that's not very good for a kid's (development). They have to have a big tennis club and they have to play against better players."