After two very tough back-to-back matches against Branson and Head Royce, the team took on Heritage today. Though the Patriots don’t possess the same kind of firepower, they are a formidable team who just lost 4-5 to Northgate. Acalanes had to stay focused to pull out the win, as we were a little short staffed due to players dealing with minor aches, pains or illnesses. The only upside was that some of our lower-ranked players got a chance to move into the lineup, that being junior Billy O’Brien (no relation to the coach) and freshman Chris Gorham. For both, this was their first match as varsity players. Congratulation guys!
Because Heritage has ten tennis courts, all matches went on at the same time – great for the boys, a little hectic for the coach. We got off to a strong start with #1 Sze Ting Chen winning easily in straight sets. He simply outclassed Yashlaha who looked like he was just enjoying the experience against a player of Sze Ting’s caliber. Younger brother, Sze You, finished right behind him putting the team up 2-0. Sze You played a clean and intelligent match giving up only three games. #5 Bora Hoeberechts was third off and dominated with a 6-2, 6-1 victory. He was never in any real trouble. Though the Dons were now up 4-0, things got a little dicey.
Up 6-1, 5-2, and ready to close out the match, #4 Foster took a bad step and his knee buckled on him. Instead of risking further injury, I made the call to stop the match and retire though Sammy was playing great and just a couple of points away from a convincing win. He was hobbling and the boys know their safety is the top priority. #3 doubles team O’Brien/Gorham then finished and lost a close one 6-4, 6-4, a great effort for their first varsity match. The top two doubles teams split sets and went into third set super tiebreakers at the same time. I was just about to go to the car to get last year’s heart medication, when #1 Rocca/Marshall pulled their match out 10-7. While recording that win, #2 Eagens reported in that he won in straight sets as well. Though Eagens won 6-2, 6-2, his match was closely contested. Both players were very consistent, so the points went long and it was a battle of stamina and patience. Peyton won hands down! The last match was the #2 seniors team of Goldwyn/Ristow who will be first to tell you this was a winnable match. It was a close battle and they came up just a little short 10-8 in the third. In the end: Dons 6, Patriots 3.
On Thursday, a subset of twelve players head to Fresno to represent Acalanes in the California Tennis Classic Tournament. Because some of our top players aren’t making the trip, we are playing in division 2. Each evening, I will post articles highlighting how the team fared. The four matches we play will count against our overall win-loss record. The tournament’s website: https://www.californiatennisclassic.com/.
Lastly, thank you to Tuesday’s drivers and family members who watched the match. It was an early time in a remote location, but we had some supporters cheering us on. Next week, we kick off our league schedule with an away match at Campolindo on Tuesday. The boys look ready to go. Go Dons! Coach Rick
Results – Acalanes defeated Heritage 6-3
Singles
#1 Sze Ting Chen (A) defeated Arnav Yashlaha (H) 6-0, 6-1
#2 Peyton Eagens (A) defeated Blake Vitale (H) 6-2, 6-2
#3 Sze You Chen (A) defeated Ethan Rajan (H) 6-2, 6-1
Jonathan Rajan (H) defeated Sammy Foster (A) 1-6, 2-5 retired
#5 Bora Hoeberechts (A) defeated Andrew Sherman (H) 6-2, 6-1
#6 Kaya Hoeberechts (A) defeated Geland Smithers (H) 7-6 (5), 6-2
Doubles
#1 Dylan Rocca/Blake Marshall (A) defeated Ahaz Kassaye/Obi Chidi (H) 6-4, 4-6, 10-7
Ronin Pham/Noah De Guzman (H) defeated #2 Danny Goldwyn/Carsten Ristow (A) 3-6, 7-6 (6), 10-8
Ibby Ahmad/Anirvin Madhan (H) defeated #3 Billy O’Brien/Chris Gorham (A) 6-4, 6-4
