Boys’ Tennis Falls to Choate Rosemary Hall

The boys’ varsity tennis team looked to avenge their 3-4 lost against Groton as they faced off against Choate Rosemary Hall this past Saturday. The team was disappointed with a 2-5 loss, their record now standing at 0-2.

Immediately, the team faced the challenge of a three-hour bus ride, which meant they had no time to practice before the start of their first matches.

The doubles matches were first. Even though upper Cameron Gruss and lower Ryan Nguy won, Exeter still lost the doubles point after seniors Rex Tercek and Joon Kim, lower Pedro Sanson and prep Alex Mangiapane lost their matches. Sanson believes that the team needs to work harder on winning doubles matches in the future.

After doubles, the boys began to focus more during singles, showing some improvement. While Gruss, Tercek, Sanson and Nguy all lost, Nguy stayed competitive and kept the score close throughout his singles match. Upper Sergio Escobar won his match in two sets, and after losing his first set, Kim went on to beat his opponent by winning the next two.

“We have a goal and to reach it we must work together. Individually we must win our games, but as a team we must support each other.”

Kim said the team showed improvement throughout the day as they gained momentum in the singles matches. “Granted, the bus ride was long, and energy definitely was not high at the beginning of the match, but as it progressed, we started to build energy even though we lost the doubles point,” he said.

According to Mangiapane, the other team had also seemed more prepared. Their opponent’s coaches even bought snacks and drinks to keep the players energized, while Big Red was left filling up their water bottles in the bathroom sink. “We should have come better prepared,” Mangiapane said. Exeter’s team was also missing lower Logan Gruss, who was unable to play due to his injured right shoulder.

According to the boys, Choate’s team stayed more consistent and played stronger, wearing down the Exeter team in long, drawn out points. “Looking forward, we will work on consistency and [will continue] to hone our doubles skills, as the doubles point proves more crucial than ever for our season to end in a repeat as the Class A champs,” Kim said.

During the match, the boys also faced strong winds that pushed the ball around the court. “We needed to move our feet a lot more and use a little more little steps to stay well positioned for the ball and the next shot,” senior Jack Hirsch said.

Nguy said that another challenge for the boys was staying focused from the start. According to Nguy, they lost their first few games because they were unfocused. “We need to stay rooted and focus more on the important points and games,” Nguy said.

While the A team faced tough competition, the B team swept the court, winning their match 7-0. They came onto the court prepared, easily winning their doubles matches. However, according to prep Etienne Oshinowo, the singles matches were more difficult. The team’s strong chemistry helped the plays stay encouraged and competitive throughout the singles matches. “We didn’t feel nervous because we joked a lot before the match,” Oshinowo said.

Both teams are hopeful for the rest of their season. Sanson commented on how the boys still believe they can win the New England Class A Tennis Tournament for a second year in a row if they just focus on working together more and addressing their issues. “We have a goal and to reach it we must work together,” Sanson said. “Individually we must win our games, but as a team we must support each other.”