Tennis Round 5 vs Knox

Tennis Round 5 vs Knox

We saved the best till last and Knox have certainly been the strongest opposition that we have faced across the board this season. Only the mighty 10C team were able to register a victory, despite other teams coming close. The challenge that remains will be to work hard and see if we can improve on this result in the return fixture next term.

The 1st IV struggled against quality opposition at Wahroonga. Captain James Kim (12Ar) was arguably the most valuable player on the day and was extremely unlucky to win his singles after conceding a couple of set points. Despite this he must be commended for his excellent play in which he dominated his fair share of points. His opponent closed out the set by not conceding one unforced error in the last three games of the match, stepping it up when it really mattered. James also played well with his trusty partner Angelo Shi (11Sc) in the doubles, in which they were competitive in both sets. Finn Taylor (11La), playing at number one, was again very competitive and whilst falling short on the scoreboard pushed his opponent for the majority of the match. Likewise, Mitchell Reid-Queeney (12Ar) played to the best of his ability, constructing numerous outstanding points in his favour. Overall, it was a good learning experience for the team and an indicator of how much improvement is necessary to compete with the benchmark this season.

Likewise, the 2nd IV gave it their all with all players trying to the best of their ability. There were plenty of promising moments particularly in the doubles component of the match. Nathan Tsang (10Du) and Chris Lowe (10Ho) competed well, displaying a host of different strategies and starting positions that did pay dividends on the day. Domenic Furfaro (11Ar) and Mark Charas (11Ho) played well and pushed their quality opponents in both the singles and doubles component of the fixture.

Jeremy Dykgraaff | MIC Tennis

5th and 6th Match Report

As the scorecard suggests, (two losses 0 – 6 and only five games won in total), we appeared mere novices faced with the might and depth of the Knox Tennis fraternity last weekend in what was the final CAS round of the year. They most certainly and most brilliantly outperformed us, perhaps enjoying the home-ground advantage and putting us on the backfoot at every opportunity. However, I am delighted to report that despite the obvious mismatch, all the Trinity players persevered and continued to try to find ways to return serves, to keep the rallies alive and even to win occasional points. There were some improvements in serving, general court coverage and clever shot placement, but nothing our players attempted could allay the power and consistency of the Knox players. It certainly was a ‘tough day at the office’ as they say but the Trinity players seemed to enjoy the experience. Once again, they are to be congratulated on their great sportsmanship, pleasant demeanour and “never say die” attitude.

Jessica Spratt | Coach 5th and 6th IV

10A and B Report

The fixture against Knox is traditionally the toughest in the calendar and the boys rose to the challenge despite not having results go their way. Max Tsai (10Fo) and Shan Mohan (10Ke) performed admirably in their doubles match and showcased some excellent serving. However, a crucial game was all that separated the two teams and after being broken on serve, the boys went down 6-3. Shan also played a good singles match and hit some stellar forehands but once again a drop off in consistency in one or two service games cost him, losing 6-3. Josh Lee (10La) and George Stavrakis (10WH) were outplayed in their doubles match, losing to a well-drilled Knox team. However, Josh was able to turn it around in his singles and played one of the best matches of the season so far. His forehands in particular allowed him to dominate the match, but it was his footwork that was much more decisive. This allowed him to take on his opponent’s second serve and crush the ball back putting pressure on his opponent immediately in the rally. He should be proud of his marked improvement over the first half of the season.

The Bs unfortunately couldn’t register a win this week but there were plenty of good efforts to go around. Alex Liang (10Ar) chased down every ball and didn’t give up despite being behind, making sure that his opponent earned his victory. Michael Hatzistergos (10Mu) will be disappointed with his result. He had played brilliantly to be 5-3 up, exploiting his opponent’s weaknesses to good effect. However, a change of tactic invited his opponent back into the match and he eventually lost 7-5. Despite this, Michael will have learned a valuable lesson for future matches: “Don’t change tactics if you are winning with it”. Owen Street (10La) also fought very hard showing a lot of grit and determination in his match. Despite some beautiful shots for the highlight reel, Owen went down 6-3. Nikhil Akula (10La) had a tough loss this weekend but on some occasions the opponent is simply too good, and this was an example. Knox were the stronger team this weekend and it showed in the doubles matches as well, which were one-sided in their favour.

I encourage all the boys to keep up their tennis over the summer and come back reinvigorated next year for the second half of the season.

Ritvik Dinesh | Coach

Match Report 10C and D

Some very close games indeed! At training there was some significant apprehension about playing Knox, but the Cs displayed valiance and strength throughout their games and it paid off. Fouad Deiri (9Fo) showed once again that a strong backhand is just as good as a strong forehand, securing some excellent points in each of his games with some amazing backhand volleys and baseline hits. Ethan La (9La) and Elliot Russel (9Fo) had a smashing singles game, winning 6-2 and 6-0 against players with a very strong forehand. Ethan La and Fouad Deiri had an amazing tie-breaker win in doubles. Both Elliot Russel (9Fo) and Ollie McComb (9He) went against two very strong servers but definitely held their own in both of their games. Special mention to Ollie McComb for playing his entire singles game with a sore hamstring – at times almost limping his way to get to the ball. Well done to the entire team for a well-deserved win against some very strong opponents.

A very narrow loss, but some great tennis played! Props to Felix Reddel (9Ke) and Thomas Deller (9Ho) who went against some opponents with very strong serves. They changed their game tactic and held their own despite the overall score. Oliver St George (9Ta) played a stellar tie-breaker match which was somewhat exhausting to watch, and well done on the win. Special mention to Edward Layson (9Ke) who did not have an opponent to play against but used the offer of a Knox player having another singles game to practice some skills. Only a very narrow loss, so well done to the team on overcoming their mental block of thinking they would be in for an absolute annihilation.

Stephanie Boyce | Coach

9A and B Report

The Trinity 9As fought hard over the weekend but were unfortunately unable to claim victory over Knox. Noah Figliuzzi (9Fo) and Ishaan Sharma (9Ar) played a strong doubles match but despite this, Knox simply overpowered them, 6-2. Ashvin Nagaratnam (9Yo) and Sasha Ratnavadivel (9Du) each played solid singles matches, but were ultimately defeated, 0-6 and 4-6 respectively.
The 9Bs played a series of great matches on the weekend but were unfortunately unable to claim victory from Knox. Dara Ritchley (9Ho) and Axel Lee (9Yo) played a strong doubles match but were outclassed by Knox on the day. Leo Wong (9WJ) and Bailin Ashcroft (9Fo) also each played consistent singles matches but were also defeated by Knox. A strong effort by all members.
The 9Ds put up a great fight against Knox on the weekend but were unable to beat them. Judah Krishnamoorthy (9Ke) and Jordy Brown (9Ta) played a close doubles match, barely losing 4-6. Nikolai Baldwin (9He) and Noah Adrian-Green (9He) also each played strong singles matches and were unfortunately unable to claim victory. All around a great effort from the Ds.

Sunny Tang | Coach

8A and B report

Trinity vs Knox is a fixture we look forward to from the beginning of the season and something Trinity relishes in. The As began on even terms, winning one doubles game 6-2 and losing the other 6-2. However, we were outplayed in our singles, albeit very close matches. The final scores saw Knox attain four sets to our two. However, there was only one game difference in the overall game tally, with Knox edging a 26-25 victory. Ollie Jessop (8We) was brilliant today, dismantling his opponent 6-0. Ryan Qin (8Yo), Nathan Della Torre (8Yo) and Lucas Preston (8WH), also all played some quality tennis but were beaten 6-4, 6-4 and 6-3, respectively.
The Bs were truthfully not up to Knox’s standard. Although each boy of Orlando Ang (8WJ), Nicholas Servos (8Sc), Sebastian Musumeci (8Ke) and Peter Papadopoulos (8He) played well, Knox were too good for us. The final scores saw Trinity lose 0-6 on sets and 3-36 on games. Sometimes big losses like these are good to learn from and I hope the boys take this loss in their stride and show their improvement when we meet Knox next term.

Kevin Batliwala | Coach

8C and D report

The Cs and Ds also suffered a similar fate. Knox were considerably the better team and it showed with their experience on the court. Unfortunately, Trinity did not win a game on the day although this result is not for lack of trying. I am proud of the efforts the boys showed and Benjamin Loughnan (8Ke), Jared Chan (8Mu), Taner Hitay (8WH) and Hugo Verguizas (8Ke) should take this loss as an opportunity to learn and improve.

Although the Ds were similarly outplayed, we did manage to get two games from Knox’s boys. Sometimes, these small victories are a great moment to witness as a coach, considering the day we had. Oscar Hannan (8Fo) was our saviour for today, saving us from a clean sheet. Again, Liam Hudson (8Du), Adam Brzozowski (8Ta) and Lucas Bonnet (8He) all played to the best of their abilities and I couldn’t ask for more. I wish the boys luck next week!

Kevin Batliwala | Coach

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