MESA, AZ – Seventeen-year-old Cason Campbell brought the heat in men’s singles at the Mesa Arizona Cup on Wednesday. 

The No. 44 seed quickly established himself as a force in the Grand Canyon State with victories over Blain Hoveneir and Collin Shick.

The triumph over Shick went the distance: 11-10, 5-11, 12-10 in favor of Campbell.

“I wasn’t expecting to pull out the win,” admitted Campbell. “I just tried to give it my all.”

Campbell will battle his toughest opponent yet in the Round of 16 with a matchup against Dylan Frazier.

“I’m feeling good going into the next round. I’m going to stay mentally good, have fun, relax, and hopefully pull out another win,” he shared.

Even though the youngster has only been playing pickleball for about a year, he looked like a seasoned pro.

Paying close attention to some seasoned veterans of the sport has certainly helped his cause.

“I look up to Christian Alshon. I just love his game,” praised Campbell.

Who knows, the Miami native may face his favorite pros soon enough...

With respect to his gear, Campbell wears a tattered, holey, sideways baseball cap in competition.

“It’s my lucky hat,” he revealed.

And with how well the kid’s playing right now, that hat is definitely bringing him some solid gameplay, too.