Boys tennis defeated North Creek for the third time to finish out a completely undefeated season. From long rallies to numerous and tense tiebreaks, the victory was by no means an easy one and was achieved through hard-fought points and resilience. This final win means that the team has officially secured the official title as district champions for the 2021 season.
First singles player and senior Adam Walter easily defeated his North Creek opponent in the first set, performing well with consistent and strong serves. The match proceeded into a tight second set tiebreak, but Walter managed to attain the win, finishing with scores of 6-2, 9-7.
Second singles player and junior Alan Babadzhanov played with exceptional strength in his final championship game, winning with a sizable lead at 6-1, 6-2. Babadzhanov’s powerful serve, forehand and hustle proved to be a decisive factor, and his points even featured a few impressive trick shots, providing a photo-finish to the end of a well-performed season.
Similarly, third singles player and freshman Charles Wait ended the year with a securely attained win, also ending at 6-1, 6-2. Wait found and maintained an even rhythm with his forehand early on, achieving a deadly consistency against his North Creek foe.
In one of the longest and tightest matches of the entire afternoon, fourth singles player and senior Daniel Orr’s stamina and consistency once again proved to be the conclusive factor in his victory during the district championship. Orr ended with a 4-6, 2-6, 10-6 win.
First doubles players and juniors Andras Marto and Roman Mar also secured a relatively comfortable win, at 6-4, 6-2. Mar’s serve and Marto’s aggressive dominance at the net proved to be a challenging force to contend with.
Third doubles players and freshmen Cosmo Anthony-Mostad and Will Weber narrowly clutched the game against their North Creek opponents in a third-set tiebreaker. The duo found particular strength in their footwork and with Anthony-Mostad performing at the baseline and Weber at the net, the pair finished strong at 6-4, 2-6, 11-9.
Lastly, in another close game, second doubles players and seniors Nathan Guest and Anand Ochirnyam lost in a tiebreak at 6-3, 4-6, 5-10. Although Guest’s overheads and Ochiryam’s serves remained a powerful tool for the lefty pair throughout the match, the two were ultimately unable to obtain the third set win.
This match marks the final game that boys tennis will play this season. As the team bids farewell to seniors Walter, Orr, Guest and Ochirnyam, this conclusion is undoubtedly bittersweet. Following this undefeated season, the underclassmen will undoubtedly have some big shoes to fill in the fall as the reigning district champions.
Coach Jane Demarath said that she is very proud of the team for their strong performances this year. She said she would like to thank the team managers for their efforts, as well as the parents for their support. In particular, she would like to thank Jim Orr for his work in photography for the team.
“They’ve improved tremendously throughout the season and each and every one of them has worked very hard,” she said. “I could not be more proud of them.”
