Player Profile: Matthew Porter

Matthew Porter

Age: 33
Residence: Boston, MA
Profession: Financial Advisor – Merrill Lynch
Achievements in tennis/platform tennis: Tennis – #700 world singles 1998. Division II National Champion 2001 Rollins College; Court Tennis – 2009 #1 US Amateur Court Tennis; Platform Tennis – 2011 National Finalist. Finalist in 2011 Boston Open.
Hobbies off the courts: Racquet sports, snowboarding, reading financial books, travelling Europe and eating (mozzarella in Italy the best)
Personal Platform Tennis: Play as a team and push the boundaries of the sport

The 2011 Chicago Nationals saw many surprising teams come to the forefront to compete against teams that we’re all used to seeing. One new face in the Men’s Finals was Australian tennis whiz, Matthew Porter, who played with partner, Johan du Randt.

PTM caught up with Porter to see how his new partnership evolved into becoming the 2011 Men’s National Finalists.

How long have you and Johan been partners? Johan and I became partners at the start of this year. We were unsure about our prospects but quietly optimistic. That optimism soon faded… just kidding!

Was there an immediate gelling between you two or did you have to overcome obstacles or make compromises in each other’s play to be successful partners? We had some tough losses to some of the best paddle players in the nation. We continued to practice and compromise our individual styles to blend more as a team. During nationals in Chicago it finally clicked. We look forward to taking it to the next level.

How did it feel to be in the finals at the nationals? A frequent comment is that by the time you get to the finals, you are beat up or well on your way to being beat up… How was your stamina?

Were there any curveballs thrown at you i.e. warmer than preferable/colder than preferable, bright lights, more fans than you’re used to? Nationals was the best time ever. There were so many great people playing a sport that is unique and fun. We played President’s Cup this year, which gave us many great warm-up matches. We felt fresh going into Nationals, and throughout the early round play on Saturday. Saturday night playing the quarterfinals against a home team was a great vibe and something I want to do again. Sunday morning I woke up pretty tired — the back-to-back-to-back nightly activities can take a hold. The legs took a little while to get going, but when you get in the heat of battle, you really have no time to think about it. Everyone has played the same amount of time, basically, and what I’ve learned is: those that can win while not at their best are at the top of the game/rankings. The fans created an exhilarating vibe and something I hope I can experience again next year. Thanks to Johan for playing with me.

What tennis experience is in your background? I grew up playing tennis at a young age, and was number one in Australia when I was 16. I am a member of the Australian Institute of Sport, and have had the opportunity to play and practice with some of the great Australian players