Tennis Round 7 vs Knox
The last round for this term was contested against Knox Grammar School with all teams facing a strong black and blue opposition. The 1st IV set the tone early with a fantastic hard-fought victory, but the majority of other Trinity teams struggled against their quality opponents.
The 1st IV played at home, at the Trinity Tennis Centre, on a day custom-made for tennis. Injured Captain Max Nguyen had to be content giving the pre match team talk and supporting the players courtside during matches. Our doubles pairings got off to a slow start, losing the first two sets contested and it appeared that it was going to be a hard day at the office. To the boys’ credit they did not panic but slowly and surely worked their way back into the contest. Dylan Guler (11WH) and James Kim (10Ar) picked up the pace winning their second set 6-2, whilst on the adjacent court Finn Taylor (9La) and Max Knauer (10Ho) also registered a win after a more determined effort. In the singles, all boys played well, and we were able to secure three of the four sets contested. It wasn’t all one-way traffic, though, with Dylan Guler having to stave off a set point before going on to take a close set. James Kim got his retribution against his volatile opponent, winning comprehensively 6-3. Arguably, the match of the day was the last one contested between the two number 4 ranked players, and this would ultimately determine the result. In the Trinity corner was Max Knauer who came up against a quality Knox opponent. The match was very even in the early stages with both players going tit for tat in a fast paced and physical confrontation. However, it was Max who systematically wore down his opponent with his consistency and determination, pulling away for a crucial 6-3 win.
The 2nd IV played well for the majority of their fixture and were unlucky not to win, with the final result being determined by just one single game. After winning the majority of doubles sets contested and putting themselves in a winning position, the team faltered slightly allowing their relentless opposition back into contention. Despite the loss, all students played well, and it was a fitting reminder just how valuable just one extra game can be.
Jeremy Dykgraaff | MIC Tennis
3rds and 4ths IV
The 3rds were determined to give Knox a real fight, and they certainly did give it their all. However, the Knox boys were equally determined and at least as skilful. Daniel Tran (12Ta) played his most convincing tennis in the second doubles set, but Knox withstood the challenge and won a close match. The singles matches featured two epic struggles: Liam Ling (12La) dominated early with his serve and forehand, but he was unable in the end to resist his opponent’s comeback. His loss in a tiebreak was frustrating for him, as it was for Nikhil Kapoor (12Yo), whose match was much more of a seesaw affair. Much can be gained from such sporting encounters, once the initial disappointment has been overcome, and the 3rds should take solace from the fact that they did play some very good tennis.
The 4ths matches were mostly seesaw affairs too, but while Jack Vine (11Mu) and Callum McLeod (12He) remained in their singles matches for much of their duration, only Max Guo (12Ar) was able to keep his opponent at bay, triumphing in the end with a mix of skill and determination 7-5. Like the 3rds, the 4ths were much more competitive against Knox than they had been in the first round.
Well done to both teams on their skill and spirit, if not the winning sets registered!
Ashley Lucas | Coach
10As and 10Bs
It was a tough day out on court for the 10Ds; being two A players down, all boys had to shuffle up a couple of positions against one of the strongest schools in the CAS Tennis. In saying this, the boys played exceptionally well. Beier Chen (10Yo) and Andrew Yang (10Hi) were hitting some amazing strong rallies in their doubles together but unfortunately that strong rally ended on an unforced error. Alexander Jacob (10Fo) and Jack Burge (10He) stepped up from the Bs and played to the best of their ability against strong opponents. There were a few double faults from the boys that cost them easy points.
The 10Bs performed really well in some parts of their matches over the weekend. Oliver Highett-Smith (10Hi) and Oscar Shen (10Yo) started off strong in their doubles, the boys were 3-1 up but somehow managed to find themselves 3-6 down. After a relatively good doubles performance, Oliver and Oscar just couldn’t get themselves into a rhythm in their singles. Lachlan Chung (10Ho) played an amazing singles match, going down 3-6 but showed moments of brilliance with his strong ground strokes and serves.
Danielle Calvi | Coach
10Cs and 10Ds
Jackson Dumesich (10WJ) and Will Bryan (10Du) stepped up into the C1 and C2 positions over the weekend. Both boys played very well against strong opponents. The scoreline was 2-6 in the doubles but each game was very close. Ashvin Peter (10Ho) and Jonathon Liu (10La) played well but unfortunately couldn’t get any games up on the scoreboard. They played out some intense rallies, but easy mistakes cost them a lot of points.
James Valiozis (10Yo) and Jonathon Shih (10Fo) held the flag for the 10Ds. Both boys played well and played with consistency which was great to watch. Finding a winner was the downfall for the boys, and it was something that Knox did that little bit better.
Danielle Calvi | Coach
9As and 9Bs
The As and Bs endured a difficult day against a strong Knox side. Despite good efforts all around and a great fighting spirit on display, Knox’s consistency was too much on the day. Special mention must go to James Chan (9Ar) and Lawrence Hoe (9Yo) who came from behind in their doubles match to produce the only win of the day. James and Lawrence combined perfectly from the baseline and the net, utilising power and precision to beat their opponents. Despite being down early, the boys showed tremendous fight and even surprised themselves at how they played. They will no doubt look to carry this form into next week.
9Cs and 9Ds
It was a similar story in the Cs and Ds this Saturday, with Knox proving a class above. Bohai Xie (9Yo) and Leo Gao (9Ar) were unlucky to lose their doubles match in a close affair, going down 4-6. Leo was able to quickly recover from the defeat and powered on to a classy 6-0 win, showcasing some brutal power on the serve and forehand to register the only win of the day for both teams. He should be commended on his efforts.
Ritvik Dinesh | Coach
8As and 8Bs
The 8As tried their best against Knox, but unfortunately were unsuccessful this past weekend losing 6 sets to 0. Nathan Tsang (8Du) and Christopher Lowe (8Ho) played well in their doubles match together. Both boys were hitting very well and consistently against their opponents. They have good footwork and movement but need to try and communicate a bit better. Nathan was playing very well this round, hitting some very strong and consistent serves and groundstrokes. Christopher was also in great form this round. He was hitting his serves consistently as well as hitting good groundstrokes; he just needs to practice putting the ball away when approaching the net. James Davies (8St) and Maxi Tsai (8Fo) were trying hard during their matches today but were facing tough opponents this round. James was playing well during his doubles match but seemed to struggle with hitting consistently during his singles match. Maxi also played well during his matches, hitting his serves quite consistently, and his groundstrokes were very strong and well placed.
The 8Bs struggled against Knox over the weekend, losing 6 sets to 0. Travis Ng (8WJ) and Mitchell Bowden (8La) both tried hard and played well during the doubles over the weekend. They were both hitting good serves during their matches, but in this round Mitchell’s groundstrokes seemed to be particularly strong and consistent. Travis was consistent at times with his serves and groundstrokes, but he needs to improve upon his overall form and on-court movement as he doesn’t seem to move around enough and recover after each shot. Matteo Larotta (8Sc) and Christian Laurens (8La), both tried hard this past weekend. Both boys were hitting some good shots at times during their doubles but seemed to struggle in some parts of their individual singles matches. Matteo was hitting good serves and at times good groundstrokes, but similarly to Travis he needs to improve upon recovering after each point and get ready for the next one. This is because he seems to miss a lot of shots and opportunities due to him not being positioned correctly. Christian also played well over the weekend, hitting some good groundstrokes and he seemed to have some good rallies. However, he needs to improve upon his positioning on the court as he seems to stand halfway between the net and the baseline instead of committing to one or the other, which results in some shots being easily missed.
Tristan Kontonis | Coach
8Cs and 8Ds
The 8Cs played some good matches but unfortunately lost this round 5 sets to 1. Grayson Doig (8He) and Leopold Vo (8WH) played very well over the weekend. During the doubles, the boys had good communication, but they didn’t have good placement at times. Some points they were returning serves too close to the service line and other times not playing close enough to the net. Grayson was playing very well; he was hitting some strong and consistent groundstrokes and playing very well from the baseline. He was the only player to win a match this past weekend. Leopold was hitting his serves consistently over the weekend, also hitting some great winner volleys. He just needs to work on his placement when returning. Jonathan Ly (8Sc) and Ravin Chowdhury (8Fo) played a tough few matches over the weekend. Jonathan tried hard over the weekend, he had a tough match up against Knox but was still playing consistently and to the best of his ability. He just needs to try and improve upon his groundstroke pace. Ravin also had a tough matchup. He at times hit some good groundstrokes but he needs to work on his serves and movement on the court.
The 8Ds played well over the weekend, but unfortunately lost 6 sets to 0. James Cicuta (8He) and Brendan Holden (8WJ) played well during their matches over the weekend. James was hitting very consistently and at times hit some very good groundstrokes. However, he needs to try and improve upon his serves and his footwork with his groundstrokes. Brendan also played well, he was also hitting consistently but similarly to James he needs to work on his footwork and form. Elliot Russell (8Fo) and Gabe Stavropoulos (8WH) played well in their doubles but need to improve upon communicating and covering all parts of the court. Elliot was hitting some good groundstrokes and serves, but he just needs to work on recovering to the centre after each shot as he seems to struggle to return some shots that are hit towards the corners of the court. Gabe also did a good job over the weekend. He was hitting consistently but he needs to work on his form with his serves and groundstrokes.
Tristan Kontonis | Coach
7As and 7Bs
The 7As had a tough day at the office this week against Knox going down 6 sets to 0. Khang Nguyen (7WH) and Noah Figliuzzi (7Fo), were unable to start their doubles match strong and fell behind early. This allowed their opponents to pull away with the win. In singles, Khang on many occasions was locked in groundstroke battles with his opponent, and his lack of consistency on the day allowed his opponent to grab a plethora of points and run away with the win. Noah had a tough day, struggling to find composure and confidence on the court. This allowed his opponent to grab a 5 – 0 lead. Noah mounted a comeback, but his opponent was able to close off the match 6 – 2. Alejandro Molina (7Ke) and Hugo Newman’s (7WJ) performances on the day were highly influenced by their emotions and reactions to the environment. This distraction resulted in poor focus on the game which allowed their opponents to run away with the win. In the future, both Hugo and Alejandro need to focus on the match at hand and ignore their surroundings and potential distractions. Alejandro, still impacted by the previous doubles match, was unable to regain composure and was unable to grab the win. Similarly, despite Hugo’s effort on court, he was unable to overcome his opponent.
Much like the As, the 7Bs struggled against a stronger Knox side, going down 5 sets to 1. Ishaan Sharma (7Ar) and Jared Arnold (7Ar) went into their game with a lack of confidence and belief, thus resulting in poor energy on court. This allowed their opponents to grab the win. Both Ishaan and Jared need to start their matches in the future with a positive mindset.
In singles, despite a 4 – 6 loss, Ishaan played very well and was pleased with the result. This is a great mindset to have, which will indefinitely promote further growth. Jared played well, but the lack of groundstroke consistency often resulted in free points for his opponent. In future training sessions, Jared needs to work on utilizing more topspin in his groundstrokes to avoid striking the top of the ball. Ujwal Yadem (7Fo) and CJ Nguyen (7Yo) played very well, with great positive communication and effort. Despite a close loss, they should be impressed by their performance. In singles, Ujwal was able to utilize his groundstrokes to push his opponent into tough positions, setting up free points for himself. This allowed him to pull away with a 6 – 3 win. Due to the lack of time, CJ’s match was called off, but CJ played an impressive four games, and was looking to grab the win.
Edward Lai | Coach
7Cs and 7Ds
The 7Cs faced a very tough Knox side this week, going down 5 sets to 1. Daniel Villategallagher (7Ke) and Alexander Ren (7St), played a close game of doubles, but the plethora of unforced errors resulted in a loss. In singles, despite a close loss, Daniel performed very well, chasing after every ball and putting up a great fight. Similarly, Alexander was able to challenge his opponent greatly, but struggled to close off the match. Alexander Kountouris (7Mu) and Gregory Kariatlis (7La) played a great game of doubles despite the loss. They fought for every ball and competed well, which is to be applauded. Alexander has once again proved his strong will to win, closing off the match in a tiebreak, winning 7 – 6 (7 – 5). Alex has played many tiebreaks this season and has proven time and time again he is able to hold his ground. Gregory was very unlucky will the loss this week. He was able to pull off many great points, but was unable to overcome his opponent.
Similarly, the 7Ds were unable to overcome a stronger Knox side this week, losing 5 sets to 1.
Jonathan Che (7La) and Jordan Fudeh (7Yo) played well against strong opponents, but were unlucky to go down 3 – 6. In singles, Jonathan was unable to find the winning edge over his opponent and went down 3 – 6. Similarly, despite the loss, Jordan showcased great determination and desire to win on court. This is his first week back from injury and he performed very well. Aakash Viswanathan (7Ta) and Joshua Jeung (7He) played their first doubles match together this week and despite a 3 – 6 loss, they demonstrated great potential to be a dangerous pair. With work on communication and teamwork, they will be able to win more matches in the coming future. In singles, Aakash was able to find the confidence to attack the ball more, giving himself more opportunities to close off the point. This allowed him to pull away with a 6 – 3 wins. Despite a loss, Joshua played very well and his determination on court and in training will indefinitely help him improve his technique further, thus securing more wins in the coming future.
Edward Lai | Coach
