On Thursday afternoon, the Hargrave Tigers Tennis squad made the trek to North Cross (Roanoke, Virginia) for their first match in 365+ days. The Tigers fought hard but ultimately fell 9-0.
Per Head Coach, Jim Tung:
On the one-year anniversary of the declaration of a Global Pandemic and the end of the 2020 Tennis season, the Hargrave Tennis team once again took to the courts. The opened their 2021 season against one of the VIC powerhouses, North Cross School (Roanoke, VA). Both teams had fresh faces as the 2019 “up and comers” took on their roles as team leaders in 2021.
With preseason injuries plaguing the top of the competition ladder, the Hargrave squad literally and figuratively stepped up to play positions usually held down by experienced players. Tennis veteran Kevin Hawkins ’22 (Vero Beach, FL) returned to competition after a 4 year hiatus, making the transition from a clay to hardcourt game. David Chen ’22 (Chiangmai, Thailand) was last seen in Hargrave tennis orange 2 years ago. Conner Henretta ’23 (Roanoke, VA), Ethan Teluk ’22 (Manlius, NY), and Eryk King ’22 (Chatham, VA) continued to show progress over the last few years since picking up the game. Newcomers Nick Brown ’25 (Chatham, VA), Quang Le ’23 (Houston, TX), and Chance Whitenack ’22 (Knightdale, NC) were also able to get a taste of competition and exhibition matches against unfamiliar opponents.
In VIC team tennis, singles and doubles match victories each count as a team point; thus 9 points are possible from six singles matches and three doubles matches. Singles matches used the 8-game pro set format (first to win 8 games with a two game advantage; a tiebreaker is played if 8-8 should arise) with ad (deuce points are played) for doubles and a 10-game pro set format for singles. As a note, exhibition matches don’t count toward the team score, but are played when possible to give less experienced players competition exposure.
With early-season jitters chased away by unseasonably mild weather and the Fishwick courts located on a hill with a commanding view of the surrounding area, the Tigers could not have asked for better weather or location. When play ended, the scoreboard story showed the Tigers down, but the overall scores didn’t tell the whole story!
Beginning with the doubles matches that emphasize reflexes and supporting your partner, Hawkins and Teluk lead the charge. Teluk’s flat serve and drives up the center were often able to slip past a hard-charging G. Bloomfield and Wenk. But in the end, consistency carried the day as North Cross #1 dubs was able to continually apply pressure that capitalized on Hargrave errors. At #2 doubles, Chen and Henretta were also having a hard time. Henretta’s steady pushes were not able to overcome the Tigers’ service woes and the deliberate attack of Raiders Erwin and Clark. Rounding out competition play in the double phase of the team match, Brown and Le got alot of looks at the high spin and looping shots from Chandel and T. Bloomfield. King and Whitenack prolonged their match, staying alive for an extra 15 minutes.
At #1 Singles, Kevin Hawkins tried to shake off the double loss and rally the Tigers while squaring off against Raider Connor Erwin. After a good start, his forehand topspin slipped away from him and despite the support of injured teammate Alex Owen, he was unable to recover or capitalize on his still-effective backhand. Erwin’s all-court game and strong baseline drives made the outcome inevitable, but Hawkins logged in the second longest match time, obviously refusing to give up. At #2 singles, David Chen’s flat first serve continued to fail to find the mark despite his best efforts. With the additional pressure that comes with that situation, Grayson Bloomfield was able to quickly bring his match in the Raider’s favor. At #3 singles, Connor Henretta took on Rees Wenk. His determination to keep every ball that he could reach in play showed, but the power and spin of Wenk’s first serve remained an unsolved mystery for the Tiger. At #4 singles, Ethan Teluk gave a demonstration of perseverance in the face of adversity. The majority of his games were brought to the deuce point, but he was unable to capitalize to tip the game score in his favor. At #5 singles, 8th grader Nick Brown logged his first Varsity game win even as he lost the match against Tyler Bloomfield, also by showing his determination to stay in every point and waiting for a moment to strike. With experience, he will also learn to read serves better and understand the importance of court position. Finally, at #6 single, Eryk King continued to grind away. His desire to win was stymied by a steady Colin Chandel that likewise refused to relent in the face of King’s energy peaks and valleys.
The Men of the Match: Kevin Hawkins and Eryk King.
On opposite ends of the ladder, they epitomized perseverance and grit in the face of tough opponents.
Our next match will be at home at the Landon Tennis Center on the campus of Hargrave Military Academy (Chatham, VA). On March 17, 2021 at 4:30 pm, the Tigers will welcome Fork Union Military Academy in our home opener.
Individual Match Scores:
Doubles
#1 – Hawkins and Teluk v Bloomfield G and Wenk L 1-8
#2 – Chen and Henretta v Erwin and Clark L 0-8
#3 – Brown and Le v Chandel and Bloomfield, T L 0-8
E1 – King and Whitnack v Boone and Schulder L 1-8
Singles
#1 – Kevin Hawkins v Connor Erwin L 1-10
#2 – David Chen v Grayson Bloomfield L 0-10
#3 – Connor Henretta v Rees Wenk L 0-10
#4 – Ethan Teluk v Sam Clark L 1-10
#5 – Nick Brown v Tyler Bloomfield L 1-10
#6 – Eryk King v Colin Chandel L 1-10
Images:
https://hargrave.smugmug.com/
