Boys’ tennis upsets O-R to reach second round

The CHS boys’ tennis team continued its winning streak with a 3-2 victory over Old Rochester last Monday. Seeded 10^th going into the state tournament, the boys went in as the underdogs and prevailed.

Senior Alex Geyyer

Playing seventh-seeded Old Rochester, the squad went into the match knowing it would be an uphill battle. But the boys stepped up their game and got the job done.

The first win of the day came from junior Andrew Sulkala. Playing third singles, he picked apart his opponent and walked away with a 6-4, 6-0 win.

“Andrew found that his player could not handle his backhand slice, so that is what Andrew gave him until the final ball dropped,” said head coach Leo Nelson.

In doubles play, seniors Alex and Matt Garcia continued to play in sync with one another and came away with a decisive win of 6-1, 6-2. Nelson praised their play, noting that “once again, they found their communication and confidence and absolutely attacked the net.”

The match of the day, however, came from seniors Logan Cerruti and Alex Geyyer. After losing the first set, they found their stride, began to see their opponents’ weakness, and attacked with every chance that presented itself. They battled back for the key victory of the day, winning with a score of 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.

While not winning his match, sophomore Sam Riemer admirably took on a top senior player with a 47-match winning streak. Playing his heart out at first singles, Riemer came out slow but then turned it around for a 4-6 first set.

“Sam lost the first set but had this number-one player against the ropes for some time,” said Nelson. Ultimately, the second set also went to the Old Rochester player, but Riemer walked away with his head held high.

Being the underdogs is something the Bulldogs will have to experience again as they were due to face off against undefeated Westport on Tuesday, June 5.

“After the win against Old Rochester, you could see that not only do we have the confidence and the will to win, but we are having fun while doing it,” said Nelson.

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Posted by Holly Erickson on Jun 6 2012. Filed under High School, Sports. Both comments and pings are currently closed.