Joezen Punongbayan - A Go Getter On and Off the Court

Joezen Punongbayan, a Tennis-Los Angeles player.
  
He grew up in LA and continues to live and work here, raising young boy/girl twins. He is the winner of our inaugural tournament and we look forward to seeing more victories from him.

Which league are you a member of? Tennis Los Angeles

How long have you participated in your league? Off and on since 2008 (just reconnected in 2015)

How did you first learn about it? Through an online search

How often do you play? About once or twice a week

What do you like most about the league? The flexibility of scheduling it offers

Tell us about your most memorable match(es): First round in the April Tourney, I played the #1 seed and was up in the first set and actually had a few set points. I ended up losing the set in a tie-break. Normally I would be dejected and lose the second set 1-6 or something like that. But I dug deep and was able to pull off the 2nd set and really wear down my opponent in the 3rd. That was my toughest match and I ended up winning the entire tourney!

Who are your favorite rivals in the league? Why? Victor Kowalewski because his game gives me trouble with all the spins, drops, and also powerful lefty forehand. I like a challenge and it makes me have to think on the court.

How did you get started playing tennis? In 8th grade because I had a friend who played tennis and invited me to play.

What level player are you? (NTRP rating) - I'd say I'm a 4.0.

What do you love about tennis?  The mental aspect is the most challenging so I love that the most. I also love the aspect of movement, since my biggest strength is that I can get to 

any ball that comes over the net.

Who are your favorite pro players? Why? Novak Djokovic. He's got amazing form and is both defensive and offensive in his game. I liked him way before he was number 1, so I didn't jump on the bandwagon.

Tell us a little bit more about yourself: I grew up in Los Angeles playing at Poinsettia and Plummer Park courts. I love to write and hope to do more of that in the future. I have 3 1/2 year old twins who keep me busy. For work, I head the Product Marketing department at a marketing analytics company that helps other companies figure out how to optimize their marketing budget to maximize sales/revenue.

https://www.tennislosangeles.com/

https://www.tennislosangeles.com/13228/profile


By Bryan Rosenthal
Tennis League Network Blogger