He is the Island's hottest rising prospect in tennis and the ‘racquet' Jovan Whitter has been serving up is taking him to Temple University.

After just a year at the prestigious Dennis Van Der Meer Tennis University, the 18-year-old has snagged a scholarship to this top college. It was one of a number of universities interested in the Bermudian and it presented him with the best mix of tennis and tuition.

“I've reached my goal in tennis because I got a scholarship to a Division One school - Temple University in Philadelphia.

“I went to Van Der Meer on a half-scholarship. I was being looked at by a few Division One schools and I took a couple of visits to Temple and to Boston College and the University of South Carolina sent me a package. Temple offered the biggest scholarship - 50 percent - so I took it,” Whitter, who is now home for the summer, told The Royal Gazette.

When he begins college life in late August, he should not be too lonely as he will have compatriot and fellow Davis Cup player Jenson Bascome for company. The latter is returning to his alma mater to pursue a doctorate in physiotherapy after a year back in Bermuda . In addition, he will have a sporting role at the Philadelphia institution.

“He will be the assistant coach so I'll get to see a lot of him,” noted Whitter.

It's Whitter that Bermuda has been seeing a lot of recently and the lanky teen - with over-sized clothes always dancing on his slight frame - has left quite an impression in his wake.

Much of it stems from some sterling stuff which he showcased at last week's Island Construction Open, dispatching top seed James Collieson in the quarter-finals and then showing unbelievable resilience to stave off seven match points against rampant third seed, Andy Bray, and clinch their nerve-jangling semi-final.

“I don't know how I won that match. I guess by sheer willpower and the crowd cheering me. Thank God!” declared the left-handed player.

He stretched defending champion Bascome to three sets in the final - after losing the first set 6-0 - and looked to have the match within his grasp at 4-2 in the decisive set before crumbling. Still, his run in the tournament drew appreciative reviews from the tennis community.

This week he turned his attention to - as he put it - “making some noise” in the Bank of Bermuda ITF World-Ranking Junior Tournament at the Tennis Stadium. He beat Bahamian Quinn Russell 6-3, 7-5 in the opening round of the 18 and Under division but then succumbed to the might of Maciek Sykut. The American whipped him 6-1, 6-1.

“In my first match I was very nervous but I definitely started a lot faster (than I usually do). I believe my opponent was nervous also. He missed a lot of balls and that helped get my nerves out.

“I basically kept the ball on the court and just waited for him to miss which he did often in the first set. In the second set, he came out with a second wind and played a lot better but I was very focused and I really wanted to win this match to get some ITF points so I found a way to win,” said Whitter.

However, coming up against the tournament's third seed Sykut - who has advanced to today's semi-finals - unsettled the hometown player and threw him off his game.

“I had seen him play previously because he came to Van Der Meer to play a tournament. He was extremely good when he came to our school so I was expecting to be up against a tough opponent.

“I didn't go out there expecting to win. I just wanted to give 100 percent effort and see what happens; hopefully, stay close and maybe pull out a set. But I went out there and tried to hit groundstrokes with him - power to power - and that didn't work in the first set. I went out there with the wrong mentality and no game plan.

“In the second set I tried to slow it down and just keep the ball in the court and keep him out there. He started making errors and I got about six break chances. I could easily have been up 4-2 but he came up with some big shots and I have to give him credit.

“He is a better player than I am but I should definitely have made it a closer match.”

Regardless, Whitter is optimistic about the near future as he eyes taking advantage of his five ITF points and the experience of playing some of the game's top juniors.

“There's always room to improve. This is inspiration for me. I would like to head to Jamaica to play a Grade Four ITF tournament. The one here is Grade Five so the competition there would be even higher. Hopefully I can take those points to Jamaica - make the main draw - and get some more points.”

Before that, however, this exciting youngster has revenge on his mind. The Argus Open begins on June 30 and now full of confidence, knowing he can truly play with the big boys, Whitter is serving notice to Bascome, Collieson and company.

He will be in it to win it!