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- Senior Lior Rozhansky serves the ball Tuesday, May 24 at home in a match against Needham.
by Gloria Li
Boys’ tennis, 8-7, June 3 experienced its most exciting moment of the season by “beating Brookline 3-2 in order to make it into the State Tournament after losing to them earlier in the season 4-1,” said senior Eric Krasnow, the captain.
Against Dedham on the road May 25, the Tigers claimed a 5-0 victory.
May 24 against Needham at home, though, the Tigers suffered a 5-0 defeat.
Sophomore Kris Labovitch played third singles for the first time, and he “performed exceptionally well,” said sophomore Pablo Oyler-Castrillo, the team manager.
The Tigers lost, 4-1, at Wellesley, May 16.
According to coach Phil Goldberg, at the MIAA Individual State Meet May 14 and May 15, senior Zev Cariani, Krasnow and junior Parker Swiston played singles.
Krasnow said, “We all made it to the second round of the tournament but unfortunately did not advance past there.”
Goldberg said, “I thought that Cariani played very well but lost to a tough player.”
The Tigers played at Brookline May 13, “in a rematch that we had to win to have a chance at making States,” Goldberg said.
The Tigers won 3-2 in a tight match there, he said.
“Swiston truly played his best match there, he won in straight sets. Both doubles also played well and won in straight sets,” Goldberg said.
Swiston said he thinks that tennis is a frustrating sport. He enhanced his performance and kept his annoyance at bay by “focusing on the point that is being played and not what the score is.”
Despite Swiston’s win at first singles, Goldberg noted that the boys lost at third singles and were swept at second singles.
Many seniors, according to Goldberg, “have greatly improved throughout the season as well” and were significantly better from last season “due to their hard work” in the off-season.
Goldberg said he hopes that the underclassmen will continue to practice during the off-season to improve and help enhance the team’s strengths, just as the seniors did.
The Tigers were to have played in the preliminary round of the MIAA Tournament against Franklin at home June 4.
