Meeting Eric Sun, it’s hard not to ask him one question. How’s your sister?

“People will ask me about her a lot,” Sun said. “She set the bar high for tennis.”

Joana Sun was the three-time Eastern Connecticut Conference singles champion at Ledyard High School and is now a three-time first team all-conference pick in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference for Marist College.

Eric was always the little kid tagging along. He was the little boy who missed his sister when she left home to attend Saddlebrook Prep School nearTampa, Fla., in seventh and eighth grade when she was preparing for a possible career in tennis.

Today, Eric Sun, a sophomore at Ledyard and the No. 4-seeded singles player in this year’s ECC boys’ tournament, will play in the league’s quarterfinal round. He will meet No. 12 Eric McGee of Lyman Memorial beginning at 3 p.m. at New London High School, having won matches Wednesday against Alan Luner of Waterford (6-2, 7-6) and Shane Vertefeuille of Windham (6-2, 6-2).

“I started playing when I was 7 or 8 but I didn’t start seriously playing until the eighth grade,” Sun said. “When I was little, I didn’t love to play. I played Little League baseball. It wasn’t until I grew older, like freshman year, that I thought I should play.

“Since then I trained a lot harder. Before, I had this nonchalant mindset. But I wanted to make sure I get all I can out of it.”

Sun was a first team All-ECC Medium Division selection last year as the Colonels’ No. 1 singles player. This year, he’s even more confident in his role. He can reportedly even win a few games from Joana every now and then when she’s home.

Said Sun: “It’s a fun sport. It’s how I get rid of my stress.”