Varsity Tennis makes a strong start, but still falls to Covenant, 0-9

Jim Tung

The Varsity Tennis team finally opened their 2018 season with a matchup against a perennial VIC powerhouse, the Covenant School (Charlottesville, VA).  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 use the 10-game pro set format (first to win 10 games with a two game advantage; a tiebreaker is played if 10-all should arise) with ad (deuce points are played).  Doubles matches are 8-game pro sets. Exhibition matches don’t count toward the team score, but are played when possible to give less experienced players competition exposure.

With echos of our recent wintery weather in the wind gusts in the trees, the Tigers gladly warmed up in the relative shelter of the Landon Tennis center.  They only had to get over some early-season jitters as the first test of the season arrived. When play ended, the scoreboard story showed the Tigers shutdown 0-9, but the clock told a different tale.  With almost every match containing extended rallies and many deuce points, almost two hours elapsed between the first points being tallied and the final point. Regardless of the scorecard results, the eight players in the competition ladder matches and the five getting in exhibition matches gained valuable experience that will certainly pay long-term dividends.

At #1 Singles, Tiger Tyler Morris (So, New Bern, NC) led the charge against the Eagles’ Andrew Carson (Jr).   They put on a demonstration of classic all-court style of play, developing some exciting points for the crowd.  At first, it looked like Morris’ balanced attack would neutralize Carson’s aggressive Western forehands and booming overheads.  At 7-4, Carson’s adjustments worked and he ground out six tightly contested games. In the end, his consistency and unrelenting pressure carried the day, 7-10.  At #2, senior Youssef Abouzied (Giza, Egypt) was engaged in a long grinding battle with Eagle sophomore Alex Vangelopoulos (a redux of their 2017 match) that ended with a 1-10 loss.  Next to him at #3, David Kiesnowski (So, Appleton, WI) discovered a seemingly identically matched opponent in Ben Grant. Neither could gain a decisive advantage over the other as the shots peppered each region of the court.  Despite determined rallies and working to reach deuce in almost every game, Kiesnowski was unable to close off the critical points, falling 2-10. After spending a season in mandatory exhibition play as a 7th grader, Evan Troast (Lighthouse Point, FL) made his Varsity premier at #4 singles against junior Robert Wood.  Despite a period where he put up 2 games seemingly in a blink of an eye, the rest of a match was highly contested. Wood’s ability to move the ball around the court and press his advantage shut down the youngest Tiger, 2-10. Sebastian Richardson (Charlotte, NC, So) was Hargrave’s fifth returning singles player. His solid mechanics allowed him to battle to a 4-10 loss against a fresh face from Covenant, Bryson Alley.   Rounding out the singles ladders were two relative newcomers, Aiden Steinbach (first competitive match in a few years) against Covenent newcomer Degeorgis. Steinbach worked through the first match jitters, but after a lengthy contest of 0-4 (a dozen deuce points), the games seemed to slip through his grasp to a final of 0-10.

While the late singles and official doubles matches were underway, Tiger newcomers Sam Wilkerson (NYC, NY), David Chen (Shanghai, China), Maddox McCluer (Hickory, NC), and non-competing players Troast, and Steinbach took the opportunity to get in exhibition matches with Covenant’s extra players.

On the doubles side, Morris and Richardson teamed up.  Abouzied and Kiesnowski formed up at #2. Andrew Guarino (Malvern, PA, So) made his varsity debut with returning player, Walter Thompson (Chatham, VA, Fr).

In an echo of last year, the Man of the Match was Tyler Morris.  Despite the momentum shift leading to his loss, Morris kept a positive attitude as he did his best to change his game and try to throw his opponent off-balance.  He battled through the longest contest of the afternoon and continued to persevere in an equally tough doubles match. Tennis is a game of managing mistakes and misfortune with a positive and realistic attitude, characteristics clearly demonstrated by Morris.  

The players appreciated the support of the faculty, staff, family, and cadets that dropped by to offer support throughout the match. Our next match has been tentatively scheduled to be at home against Carlisle School on Thursday, March 22.  

Individual Match Scores:

Singles

#1 – Tyler Morris v Andrew Carson 7-10

#2 – Youssef Abouzied v Alex Vangelopoulos 1-10

#3 – David Kiesnowski v Ben Grant 2-10

#4 – Evan Troast v Robert Wood 2-10

#5 – Sebastian Richardson v Bryson Alley 4-10

#6 – Aidan Steinbach v Degeorgis 0-10

 

Doubles

#1 – Morris and Richardson v Carson and Vangelopoulos 1-8

#2 – Abouzeid and Kiesnowski v Grant and Wood 1-8

#3 – Andrew Guarino and Walter Thompson v Alley and Degeorgis 0-8

Morris Tennis