Boys varsity tennis fell 7-0 to Exeter on a rainy Saturday in New Hampshire. Despite the lopsided scoreline, the match was anything but.
Doubles play was the first sign that it was going to be a long battle. #1 Weldon/Kasumov gained control of their match early, while #2 Feng/Chen were neck-and-neck with their opponents for the first seven games. #3 Juhas/Berg went down early and struggled to get back on track. As our #1 team closed out their proset and extended their perfect season, Exeter pulled away on court #2 and clinched the point for the Lions.
Playing indoors with limited courts available, players 1-4 took to the courts for singles. Exeter showed why they’re so strong, winning the first set an all four courts. Deerfield to continued to fight though, and despite straight set losses on courts 2, 3, and 4, Exeter had to earn those wins.
#1 Gunter Weldon recovered from his first set defeat against an undefeated opponent to even his match at a set apiece; he went down early in the superbreaker but used his offense to stage a comeback, though ultimately his opponent’s unwillingness to miss proved too hard to handle, clinching the win for Exeter.
As matches finished, #5, 6, and exhibition players took to their courts in hopes of getting Deerfield on the board. Both Jay Chen (#5) and Charlie Juhas (#6) won their first sets and look poised for victory, but Exeter refused to quit and sent both matches to deciding third set superbreakers. Exeter pulled through 11-9 and 12-10, respectively, but both Doors showed so much heart and determination throughout.
Exhibition doubles and singles, usually a powerhouse position for Deerfield, proved equally as difficult, and Exeter walked away with all three of those matches as well.
The loss brings the team to 8-3 overall on the season with just one more match remaining. Deerfield will take to the courts on Monday, May 11 at home against Suffield Academy for their final regular-season contest, with hopes of a post-season berth next weekend.
RESULTS
Doubles order of finish: 3, 1, 2
#1. Weldon/Kasumov (DA) def. Chinsupakul/Medina (E) 8-5
#2. Sanders/Shinn (E) def. Feng/Chen (DA) 8-4
#3. Mullen/Veeranna (E) def. Juhas/Berg (DA) 8-3
Exhibition #4. Civitarese/Murdaya (E) def. Barry/Webb (DA) 8-2
Singles order of finish: 3, 2, 4, 1, 5, 6
#1. Chinsupakul (E) def. Weldon (DA) 6-3, 2-6, 10-7
#2. Mullen (E) def. Feng (DA) 6-1, 6-1
#3. Sanders (E) def. Kasumov (DA) 6-0, 6-1
#4. Shinn (E) def. Barry (DA) 6-2, 6-3
#5. Liu (E) def. Chen (DA) 5-7, 6-4, 11-9
#6. Veeranna (E) def. Juhas (DA) 1-6, 7-5, 12-10
Exhibition #7. Medina (E) def. Webb (DA) 6-0, 6-4
Exhibition #8. Murdaya (E) def. Berg (DA) 8-3