Tennis Round vs Barker College

Tennis Round vs Barker College

Captain of Tennis Dylan G. 12 WH

The Reconciliation Round brought a welcome change to the normal early morning routine last Saturday, and allowed all in attendance some time for reflection, before the vicissitudes of the on-court battle commenced. The two closely-matched opponents were the students from Trinity Grammar and Barker College. On completion of a long day’s tussle, Trinity emerged with the majority of victories over their well-respected opponents. Congratulations must be extended to the winning teams which included the 6th IV, 10BCD, 9C, 8ABCDEF and the 7BDEF.

The 1st IV started the day with a clear strategy to gain victory over their highly-ranked opponents and on completion of the Doubles matches it appeared to be going to plan. However, it was Barker College who were able to pull away in the singles component of the match to register a 5-3 win over our students. Max Knauer (11Ho) must be commended for his competitive performance in which he did not drop a set all day. He paired effectively with Finn Taylor (10La) to win two very closely contested doubles sets. Max then proceeded to systematically outplay his singles opponent in the last set of the fixture. Dylan G. (12WH) and James Kim (11Ar) showed moments of brilliance in their singles and with a little more consistency and confidence in the latter stages of their respective matches could have reversed the result.

The 2nd IV were comprehensively outplayed by a more consistent team on the day, but Domenic Furfaro (10Ar) bucked the trend to register a solid singles victory. Jayden Higgins (11He) and Angelo Shi (10Sc) combined well together in their doubles and only lost both sets by a few games after being competitive for much of the fixture. Despite the scoreboard registering a 7-1 set deficit the result was a lot closer than the scoreline indicated.

Jeremy Dykgraaff | MIC Tennis

 

3rd and 4th IV Report

The 3rds and 4ths fixture against Barker was as even a contest as we have witnessed this Winter Season. Two hotly contested doubles matches were shared – George Nicholas (11WJ) and Nick Papadopoulos (12He) once more complemented each other well in their victory, but both boys impressed even more in their singles. George showcased both his top spin backhand and his ever-improving slice, while Nick struck some very handsome forehands into gaps created by his intelligent strategies. Unfortunately, the 3rds lost on games after the sets were tied.

The 4ths lost only one set, with Harry Santhiran (11He) hitting some outstanding double-handed backhands both crosscourt and up the line. Andrew Yang (11Hi) played very solid tennis in both his singles and doubles for commendable victories, and Caleb Kwan (11Ta) continued his outstanding form to enhance his reputation further.

All in all, a great performance from the two teams, and one on which the boys are to be warmly congratulated.

Ashley Lucas | Coach

 

5th and 6th IV Report

This week the 5ths played against a strong Barker side and came short, losing 4 sets to 2.
Jack Burge (11He) and Oliver Highett-Smith (11Hi) played with great vigour and energy, but the lack of consistency allowed their opponents to grab the win. In singles, Jack played a very close game, with both players trading strong groundstrokes. However, Jack was unable to close out the match in the final tiebreak losing 6 – 7 (3 – 7). Similarly, Oliver was able to regain his momentum and played a great game of singles, overcoming his opponent and winning 6 – 4. Alex Jacob (11Fo) and Elliot Kim (11Ta) played superbly in their doubles and demonstrated great mental fortitude, winning 7 – 5 in the final tiebreak. In singles, Alex was unable to replicate the performance in doubles but continued to fight despite the loss. Similarly, Elliot played with great tenacity on court, though his opponent was more consistent and was able to pull away with a win.

This week, the 6ths played very well against a very consistent Barker side, winning 4 sets to 2. Lachlan Chung (11Ho) and Ty Garaci (11Ho) played a dominant game of doubles, outplaying their opponent consistently throughout the match, allowing them to grab an easy 6 – 2 win. In singles, Lachlan continued to demonstrate his groundstroke prowess and effectively dismantled his opponent and winning 6 – 1. Similarly, Ty brought the momentum of his doubles game into his singles and utilized his consistent groundstrokes to dismantle his opponent. He was able to come away with a solid 6 – 3 win. Evan Tong (11Fo) and Jonathan Lau (11La) played very well, with great positive communication and effort. The match was very close with both sides trading strong groundstrokes and solid volleys. However, they came short, losing 7 – 5. In singles, Evan played with good energy, though due to the lack of groundstroke consistency, he was unable to overcome his opponent. Similarly, despite Jonathan’s efforts on court, he was unable to overcome a more consistent opponent.

Edward Lai | Coach

 

10A and B match report

After a cold couple of days in Sydney, it was time to get rid of the gloves and get ready for the classic Trinity vs Barker fixture. The rivalry has been present for decades and today lived up to hype. However, our boys were truthfully outplayed when it mattered. In the end, Trinity went down 1 set to 5 and 14 games to 33. Our victorious set came from the doubles pairing of James Chan (10La) and Aiden Kuoch (10La) and as such these boys should be commended.

The Bs were a different breed today and they played brilliantly to win in dramatic fashion. The final scores finished at three sets all but Trinity were able to edge out a three-game victory, winning 22-19 on games. Notably, starman Dylan Ritchley (10Ho) bamboozled the court in a 6-0 victory and helped us obtain the win. I wish the boys the best for next week.

Kevin Batliwala | Acting 10A/B coach

 

10C and D match report

As usual, the 10Cs and Ds were up against some solid competition from Barker College. It was always going to go down to the wire but on this occasion, Trinity prevailed, marking a monumental victory for our side. The final result saw Trinity win 4 sets to 2 and 29 games to 16. However, credit must go to Charlie Scott-Shires (10Mu) and Lachlan Dai (10Du) who were able to easily finish their opponents in 6-0 victories.
The Ds encountered a similar fate, putting their opponents to bed in a demolition derby of tennis. The boys played well above their expectations and were able to win 5 sets to 1 and 32 games to 17. Notably, Bo Hai Xie (10Yo), the magician who plays tennis with his hand in his pocket, cruised past his opponent, winning 6-1. I wish the boys luck for their next fixture.

Kevin Batliwala | Acting 10C/D coach

 

Year 9A and 9B Report

This round against Barker was tough for the 9As. The boys were playing to the best of their ability but unfortunately lost this round 6 sets to 0. Christopher Lowe (9Ho) and James Davies (9St) tried their best during their doubles. They had quite good communication and seemed to cover the court well at times, but a lot of the lost points seemed to come from unforced errors. However, they had some great rallies during both the singles and doubles that were great to watch! Christopher was hitting very well this past weekend. His forehands were very strong, consistent, and well-placed. He at times hit some fantastic winners, stunning his opponents. His serves were also very consistent this past weekend. James tried his best over the weekend. His groundstrokes were also very consistent and well-placed. He at times hit some great volleys and he had good on-court movement. He really needs to try to work on improving his serve consistency as it is crucial for starting off the point strong. George Stavrakis (9WH) and Shaan Mohan (9Ke) did well over the weekend and tried their best. Both boys were communicating well  and despite their loss they were good sportsmen and still gave it their best during their singles. George was hitting consistently during his singles match. He hit some good groundstrokes, but he needs to work on getting to the ball quicker and he also needs to work on his recovery so that he can be ready for the next shot. Shaan also did well and, similar to George, he was hitting some great groundstrokes. He had good footwork and was quick to the ball. I think he needs to work on his pace when hitting his groundstrokes so that he makes the points more difficult for his opponent.

The 9Bs had a tough round against Barker this past weekend. The boys weren’t doing too well this round and unfortunately lost 6 sets to 0, only managing to get two points the entire round. Travis Ng (9WJ) and Ravin Chowdhury (9Fo) were playing well together. The boys had good communication during their doubles, but their opponents were very strong, so they struggled to come away with any games. Regardless of their loss this weekend the boys seemed to be having a lot of fun during their matches. They were getting along very well with the Barker boys. Travis and Ravin both were good sportsmen this round and still tried their best during their singles. They managed to get some good rallies in, and they were consistent at times. Marcus Yang (9Mu) and Nathan Chau (9Yo) tried their best as well. They were at times hitting consistently but same as the other Bs players, their opponents were very strong. Although they struggled this round, the boys seemed to have fun and enjoyed playing as a team in their doubles and played their best in their singles. Marcus tried his best; he had some good points where his groundstrokes were consistent. Same goes for Nathan; he also had some good rallies, but all the boys need to work on their form, footwork and overall technique in preparation for the next round.

Tristan Kontonis | Coach

 

8A and B Match Report

It was a great day for the 8As, who pulled off very convincing wins against Barker. Khang Nyugen (8WH) and Ishaan Sharma (8Ar) played a strong doubles set, winning 6-4. The same was said for Toby Zuzza (8Ho) and Alejandro Molina (8Ke), who sealed their doubles with the same score line. Overall, Trinity won 4 sets to 2.

The 8Bs showed that they were a worthy challenge for Barker. CJ Nyugen (8Yo) and Alex Ren (8St) who despite playing a fantastic doubles game, narrowly missed out on the win in a tiebreaker, 6-7. Jared Arnold (8Ar) and Ujwal Yadem (8Fo) both managed convincing singles wins, winning 6-4 and Ujwal especially dominating his opponent 6-0. Once again it was a victory for the 8Bs, 4 sets to 2.

Kevin Batliwala | Coach

 

8C and D Match Report

Our Trinity 8Cs showed that they were more than a match for Barker. Alex Kountouris (8MU) and Jordan Fudeh (8YO) pulled off an especially strong doubles game, easily beating their opponents 6-1. Aakash Viswanathan (8TA) also displayed great technical prowess, defeating his opponent 6-3. Overall the 9Cs had a good showing and won 4 sets to 2.

The 9Cs all claimed victory in their singles matches. Dominic Chen (8AR), Benson Liang (8SC), Nicholas Streeton (8ST), Giacomo Duarte (8SC) all won their singles sets, 6-4, 6-4, 6-0 and 6-3 respectively. Giacomo and Nicholas were also able to seal an equally convincing win in their doubles, 6-2. The 8Ds easily claimed victory, 5 sets to 1.

 

Year 8E and 8F Report

The 8Es did extraordinarily well over the weekend, especially since most of the boys rarely play matches against other schools. The boys managed to win this round 5 sets to 1 against Barker. Adam Ding (8St) and Ethan Zhang (8Sc) both did well over the weekend in both their singles and doubles matches. They communicated well and seemed to have good court coverage during their doubles game. Adam was playing very well over the weekend and won both his doubles and singles games. He had good on court movement and was quick to the ball. He was also hitting very consistent groundstrokes and well-placed groundstrokes. Ethan also did well on the weekend but unfortunately lost his singles match by 2 points. Similarly to Adam, he had good movement on the court, and he at times had some great groundstrokes. He just needs to improve upon his consistency. Liam Dao (8Du) and Pablo Doherty (8Mu) did very well in this round against Barker. They both managed to win their singles and their doubles matches. Liam was playing consistently well during his singles and doubles. He was hitting some good groundstrokes and he managed to get his serve in consistently. Pablo also did well during both matches. His serve was consistent and at times he hit some very strong volleys.

The 8Fs played well over the weekend but their round was short due to forfeits from Barker. The 8Fs won this round 5 sets to 1. Jackson Deng (8Yo) and Cooper Beanland (8Sc) both had great matches this past weekend. They were hitting the ball well and had some good rallies from the baseline. Even though they came away with the win I think they just need to work on improving their communication during doubles matches. Jackson tried his best during his singles match. He hit some good shots at times, but he needs to work on his consistency with his serves and his footwork when hitting his groundstrokes. Cooper did very well during his singles match. He was hitting some very strong shots and had some great rallies. Cooper managed to win his singles match without dropping a single game.

Tristan Kontonis | Coach

 

Year 7A and 7B Report

It was a tough match up for the 7As this weekend. They played some fantastic tennis but unfortunately lost this round to Barker 5 sets to 1. Ryan Qin (7Yo) and Marcus Kuit (7Ho) tried their best over the weekend. During the doubles, the boys played some good rallies, but they must improve upon their communication during points. They both played some good points, but Barker just came out a little stronger in the end. Marcus was playing very well; he was hitting some strong and consistent groundstrokes and he was playing well from the baseline. His serves were also very strong and consistent during his singles match. Ryan was also hitting very well, his serves were consistent, but he needs to work on his recovery and ball placement. Nathan Della Torre (7Yo) and Ollie Jessop (7We) played some fantastic tennis in this round against Barker. Nathan did very well over the weekend, he struggled during this doubles match with Ollie, but he managed to do much better during his singles. The boys need to work on how they play as a pair, which can be done through improving on their communication and court coverage. Ollie also had a tough matchup. He hit some good and consistent groundstrokes along with some strong serves, but he needs to work on his recovery and movement.

The 7Bs had a fantastic round against Barker over the weekend, they managed to finish this round without dropping a set! Thomas Joannou (7Du) and Roderick Chang (7Yo) played well during their matches. Thomas was hitting consistent groundstrokes and his serves were strong and very consistent. He did very well at spotting good opportunities to finish the point and his ball placement was fantastic. Roderick also did well this round against Barker. He was hitting quite well and, similar to Thomas, his groundstrokes were consistent and he was placing the balls well making it tough for his opponent. His serves and volleys this weekend were also strong and consistent! Eligh Balic (7Ho) and Jonathan Nung (7La) played well over the weekend. Eligh was hitting some good groundstrokes, but he needs to improve on starting the point stronger by improving upon his serves. What he needs to work on when it comes to singles is his recovery and court coverage. Jonathan only played a friendly match due to a forfeit from Barker but he still played to the best of his ability! He was hitting well, he had good form and great consistency with his serves and groundstrokes.

Coach Tristan Kontonis

 

Year 7C and 7D Report

The 7Cs tried their best this past weekend against Barker, it was a tough round for the boys, and they unfortunately lost 5 sets to 1. Toby Street (7La) and Athan Fudeh (7Yo) played very well as a pairing against Barker. They had good communication and they were hitting some great shots. However, they do need to work on their court coverage and positioning during their doubles matches. It seemed that both boys were not covering the court as well as they could have been, leaving large gaps open which caused them to struggle to make it to the ball at times. Toby tried his best during his singles match. He was hitting some great groundstrokes and his serves were very consistent. It was a close match but unfortunately, he lost his singles game by a couple of points. Athan also tried his best during his singles match; he played very consistently hitting some good groundstrokes, but he needs to work on his volleys and how can he finish the point at the net. There were a lot of good opportunities during his singles to finish the point; he just needs to work on how he places volleys better. Anish Sukumaran (7La) and Peter Patsalis (7Hi) played well over the weekend. They communicated well during their doubles and seemed to have a great match. The boys also played well during their singles matches. Anish played a great match against his Barker opponent; he hit some very strong groundstrokes and serves which assisted him in coming away with a win for the weekend. Peter tried his best over the weekend. He had a tougher match against Barker and had some good rallies. He just needs to try and work on his serves and his consistency with his groundstrokes.

The 7Ds had a short round this weekend due to some forfeits from Barker. With the matches that were played this weekend all boys did very well. They won this round 5 sets to 1. Matthew Walker (7Fo) and Hugo Verguizas (7Fo) played very well this round. They came very close to winning their doubles match, losing by only two points. Matthew played very well this round against Barker. He managed to win his singles match 6 games to 0. His serves and groundstrokes were very strong and consistent, making it a tough match for his opponent. He had good movement on the court and did especially well from the baseline. Hugo played well this weekend and had some great rallies against his opponent in a friendly match. Josh Quibell (7WJ) and Kobe Harb (7Hi) played well in their singles matches over the weekend. Both boys were hitting very well, and they both managed to come away with a win this round. Both Josh and Kobe’s best points were played while on the baseline as their groundstrokes were strong and well placed. They both won 6 games to 4 during their singles.

Coach Tristan Kontonis

 

Year 7E and 7F Report

Our 7Es had a great round against Barker this weekend, coming away winning this round 4 sets to 2. The boys came up from colours to play against Barkers Es team. Our boys proved that even the colours team is tough to beat! Eric Liu (7St) and Zachary Hovilai (7Yo) played very well this past weekend. They played a long doubles match and managed to come away with a win for Trinity! They had good communication and both boys were hitting very well. Zachary was hitting very consistently in his singles match against Barker. His serves were also quite strong. Same goes for Eric. Eric’s points from the baseline were certainly his best. However, both boys just need to practice their court coverage as a lot of the shots were being missed due to large gaps in the court. Johnny Nicholas (7WJ) and Joshua Vuong (7Mu) also had great matches over the weekend. The boys had good court coverage and communicated well while playing their doubles match. Johnny had some good rallies during his singles games. He had good footwork and was quick to the ball. He just needs to work on his consistency with his serves. Joshua also did very well and played similarly to Johnny. He was quick to the ball and had good footwork, but he needs to work on serves and getting them in consistently. Otherwise, all the boys did very well and seemed like they had fun this past weekend!

This round for the 7Fs was short as Barker forfeited half of their matches. However, the boys that played did well especially since these were their first matches against another school. Harry Hartzenberg (7Yo) and Lachlan Stewart (7Ho) played well this weekend in their matches against Barker. They were hitting to the best of their ability and but importantly seemed like they were having fun. Harry was doing well; his groundstrokes were consistent and at times he hit some good serves. He just needs to work on his movement around the court and his overall consistency. Same goes for Lachlan, he at times had some great rallies with his opponent but he just needs to work on his movement speed and getting to the ball on time.

Coach Tristan Kontonis

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