Well, the whole season came down to today. Get a win, go to the state tournament; lose and the team portion of the season is finished.
We went with the same lineup that we used against South yesterday. Singles: Ryan, myself, Manny, Clay. Doubles: Brandon/Rust, Andy Novak/Zach, Kenny/Andy Harris.
Ryan was done first today, he won much quicker than the last match against Wayzata, when he won in a third set. Clay was done next, his match went to the Trojans. Shortly after Clay's loss, Manny quickly finished off his opponent with a 6-0 second set. Hopkins 2, Wayzata 1.
Wayzata's doubles teams have always been strong and deep. Today was no exception. As I lost my first set 7-5, our #1 and #2 doubles teams lost. Hopkins 2, Wayzata 3. With all of the cheering going on, I was fully aware of the team's situation as I entered my second set.
I went down an early break, but got it back, and ended up taking a 4-3 lead in the second set. Just as my opponent, Scott Vezzosi, held to even my second set at four games all, #3 doubles lost their second set 7-5, meaning the team match had been decided: Hopkins 2, Wayzata 4.
Admittedly, it was hard to focus after this point, since I knew the team's match had already been lost. But I can't take any credit away from Scott, I've played him many times, and he stepped his game up big time today when it was needed, and he fully deserved the victory; he took the second set 6-4.
Final score: Hopkins 2, Wayzata 5.
As Coach Novak told us after the match, it's never fun to lose. But, we still have to take the positives: we made it to the section final and we gave it a good shot, we just fell a little short.
We've still got the individual tournaments that will be held at the University of Minnesota's Baseline Tennis Center next Tuesday and Wednesday. Again, Ryan and Andy will be playing singles, Manny and I will be playing doubles together, as well as Brandon and Andrew Rust. I'll be back on Tuesday to give the results of the individuals.
Until then,
Michael
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Section semifinal: Hopkins v Minneapolis South
Well, we knew that South would come ready to play today, and they definitely did. Somewhat surprisingly, they decided to go with their strong singles lineup. We went back to our lineup that we used against Edina, in our final regular season match last Monday.
Clay played #4 singles today, and, unfortunately, was the first match done, and he was on the losing end. Shortly after, #2 doubles (Andy Novak/Zach) won, evening the match at 1. Meanwhile, Ryan, myself, and Manny all won our first sets, but were all struggling in our seconds.
#3 doubles (Andy Harris/Kenny) were next off, also with a win. #1 dubs (Brandon/Rust) won next. Hopkins 3, South 1.
After winning my first set, my opponent played well in his second and was able to even our match. As I went to get some water, I saw that both Ryan and Manny were down 5-2 in their second sets. Although we only needed one of us to win in order to win the team match, we were all in tough battles.
I started off my third set strong, going up to a 3-0 lead. I noticed Ryan lost his second set as well, but Manny fought back to 5-4 and was playing well. I heard the parents clapping and saw him change the scorecards again: 6-5 in Manny's favor.
I held to go up 4-0, and Manny finished his match off, sealing the team victory. Although I knew our spot in the section final was safe, I still wanted to keep fighting for my own win. I talked to Ryan after the match, and he felt the same way. The USTA official even offered to Ryan to play a super-tiebreak a few games into the third, but we wanted to play the full third out.
I went into the changeover up 4-1, and Ryan got up to a 2-1 lead. I was able to close my match out, winning 6-1 in the third set. After thanking my group of friends that came to watch, we saw Ryan win his third set, 6-2.
Final score: Hopkins 6, Minneapolis South 1.
Wayzata took down Edina by a score of 5-2 today, so Wayzata will be our opponents in the section final tomorrow. Coach Novak told us not to celebrate too much, and be ready for tomorrow; we've worked all season for the opportunity we have tomorrow. We were able to beat Wayzata 4-3 earlier in the year, but it could have very easily gone the other way, and they'll be ready for tomorrow as well.
Until then,
Michael
Clay played #4 singles today, and, unfortunately, was the first match done, and he was on the losing end. Shortly after, #2 doubles (Andy Novak/Zach) won, evening the match at 1. Meanwhile, Ryan, myself, and Manny all won our first sets, but were all struggling in our seconds.
#3 doubles (Andy Harris/Kenny) were next off, also with a win. #1 dubs (Brandon/Rust) won next. Hopkins 3, South 1.
After winning my first set, my opponent played well in his second and was able to even our match. As I went to get some water, I saw that both Ryan and Manny were down 5-2 in their second sets. Although we only needed one of us to win in order to win the team match, we were all in tough battles.
I started off my third set strong, going up to a 3-0 lead. I noticed Ryan lost his second set as well, but Manny fought back to 5-4 and was playing well. I heard the parents clapping and saw him change the scorecards again: 6-5 in Manny's favor.
I held to go up 4-0, and Manny finished his match off, sealing the team victory. Although I knew our spot in the section final was safe, I still wanted to keep fighting for my own win. I talked to Ryan after the match, and he felt the same way. The USTA official even offered to Ryan to play a super-tiebreak a few games into the third, but we wanted to play the full third out.
I went into the changeover up 4-1, and Ryan got up to a 2-1 lead. I was able to close my match out, winning 6-1 in the third set. After thanking my group of friends that came to watch, we saw Ryan win his third set, 6-2.
Final score: Hopkins 6, Minneapolis South 1.
Wayzata took down Edina by a score of 5-2 today, so Wayzata will be our opponents in the section final tomorrow. Coach Novak told us not to celebrate too much, and be ready for tomorrow; we've worked all season for the opportunity we have tomorrow. We were able to beat Wayzata 4-3 earlier in the year, but it could have very easily gone the other way, and they'll be ready for tomorrow as well.
Until then,
Michael
Monday, May 23, 2011
Section Quarterfinal: Hopkins v Holy Angels
Today was really the first day of the season. Our first section match, it's do or die.
As I explained in the previous post, we are seeded first, so we played the #9 seed, Holy Angels. Although not seeded very high, they were able to upset Minneapolis Southwest in their first round match and we knew they would come in fighting.
We played a slightly different lineup today, still with Ryan, myself, and Manfred playing #1-3 singles, but Zach Miller played #4. #1 doubles was the same, Brandon and Rust, followed by the Andys at #2 (Novak/Harris) and Kenny Novak and Clay played #3.
Zach was able to take home our first victory this season for the #4 singles position. In fact, he was the first one off the court; I was only up 3-2 in the first set! After Zach finished, #2 doubles claimed a straight-sets win, as did Manfred. Next, #1 and #3 doubles came off with victories. Hopkins 5, Holy Angels 0.
Now, only Ryan and I were left. Both of us played up-and-down first sets, but were able to win them. Ryan finished first, and I was able to close my match out shortly after. A good way to start our season off, with seven straight-set wins.
Final score: Hopkins 7, Holy Angels 0.
Tomorrow we've got a rematch against Minneapolis South, who got by Benilde, St. Margaret's today, 6-1. To see the goings-on of our first match, feel free to refresh your memory: http://gohugeorgohome.blogspot.com/2011/04/hopkins-at-minneapolis-south-battle.html
It should be a great match, they always bring their mental strength as well as their strong tennis game.
Until then,
Michael
As I explained in the previous post, we are seeded first, so we played the #9 seed, Holy Angels. Although not seeded very high, they were able to upset Minneapolis Southwest in their first round match and we knew they would come in fighting.
We played a slightly different lineup today, still with Ryan, myself, and Manfred playing #1-3 singles, but Zach Miller played #4. #1 doubles was the same, Brandon and Rust, followed by the Andys at #2 (Novak/Harris) and Kenny Novak and Clay played #3.
Zach was able to take home our first victory this season for the #4 singles position. In fact, he was the first one off the court; I was only up 3-2 in the first set! After Zach finished, #2 doubles claimed a straight-sets win, as did Manfred. Next, #1 and #3 doubles came off with victories. Hopkins 5, Holy Angels 0.
Now, only Ryan and I were left. Both of us played up-and-down first sets, but were able to win them. Ryan finished first, and I was able to close my match out shortly after. A good way to start our season off, with seven straight-set wins.
Final score: Hopkins 7, Holy Angels 0.
Tomorrow we've got a rematch against Minneapolis South, who got by Benilde, St. Margaret's today, 6-1. To see the goings-on of our first match, feel free to refresh your memory: http://gohugeorgohome.blogspot.com/2011/04/hopkins-at-minneapolis-south-battle.html
It should be a great match, they always bring their mental strength as well as their strong tennis game.
Until then,
Michael
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Section Draws
Earlier this week, the draws, or tournament barckets, for the team and individual section tournaments came out. On Tuesday, all of the coaches in the section met and argued their cases for a higher seed. When all was said and done, the seeds were as follows:
1. Hopkins
2. Wayzata
3. Edina
4. Minneapolis South
5. Benilde, St. Margaret's
6. Robbinsdale Armstrong
7. St. Louis Park
8. Minneapolis Southwest
9. Holy Angels
10. Richfield
11. Robbinsdale Cooper
12. Minneapolis Roosevelt
13. Minneapolis Henry
The draw can be viewed here: http://mshsl.org/mshsl/showbrackets.asp?tournid=395&bracket=5825
We will play Holy Angels on Monday, and if we win, we will likely have a rematch against South. Since we are the highest seed, all of our matches will be at home if we continue to advance. Although the top four seeds in the section are arguably four of the top seven teams in the state, only one of us can advance to the state tournament.
Now, individuals.
Although the individuals portion of the tennis season is fun, I believe that it can be, and usually is, a negative distraction from the team aspect of high school tennis. Individuals works as follows: each team in the section chooses two singles players and two doubles teams to compete in the section tournament. This is completely separate from the team aspect. Two singles players and two doubles teams qualify for the state tournament from each section.
After winning the individual doubles portion of the state tournament last year, Ryan is playing singles this year, and he is the top seed in our section and receives a first-round bye. Andy Harris is also playing singles, and he's got a tough draw, he will have to play Wayzata's top player, the #3 seed, Dustin Britton in his second round match.
Manfred and I decided to team up and play doubles together, and we were given the #2 seed, and we've also got a first-round bye. Brandon and Rust are the #8 seed. Coach Novak said they got a raw deal since we were seeded highly and they must be on the opposite side of the draw than us.
The full singles draw can be seen here: http://mshsl.org/mshsl/showbrackets.asp?tournid=395&bracket=5826
Doubles: http://mshsl.org/mshsl/showbrackets.asp?tournid=395&bracket=5827
We've got Holy Angels on Monday at home. That's when the real season starts.
Until then,
Michael
1. Hopkins
2. Wayzata
3. Edina
4. Minneapolis South
5. Benilde, St. Margaret's
6. Robbinsdale Armstrong
7. St. Louis Park
8. Minneapolis Southwest
9. Holy Angels
10. Richfield
11. Robbinsdale Cooper
12. Minneapolis Roosevelt
13. Minneapolis Henry
The draw can be viewed here: http://mshsl.org/mshsl/showbrackets.asp?tournid=395&bracket=5825
We will play Holy Angels on Monday, and if we win, we will likely have a rematch against South. Since we are the highest seed, all of our matches will be at home if we continue to advance. Although the top four seeds in the section are arguably four of the top seven teams in the state, only one of us can advance to the state tournament.
Now, individuals.
Although the individuals portion of the tennis season is fun, I believe that it can be, and usually is, a negative distraction from the team aspect of high school tennis. Individuals works as follows: each team in the section chooses two singles players and two doubles teams to compete in the section tournament. This is completely separate from the team aspect. Two singles players and two doubles teams qualify for the state tournament from each section.
After winning the individual doubles portion of the state tournament last year, Ryan is playing singles this year, and he is the top seed in our section and receives a first-round bye. Andy Harris is also playing singles, and he's got a tough draw, he will have to play Wayzata's top player, the #3 seed, Dustin Britton in his second round match.
Manfred and I decided to team up and play doubles together, and we were given the #2 seed, and we've also got a first-round bye. Brandon and Rust are the #8 seed. Coach Novak said they got a raw deal since we were seeded highly and they must be on the opposite side of the draw than us.
The full singles draw can be seen here: http://mshsl.org/mshsl/showbrackets.asp?tournid=395&bracket=5826
Doubles: http://mshsl.org/mshsl/showbrackets.asp?tournid=395&bracket=5827
We've got Holy Angels on Monday at home. That's when the real season starts.
Until then,
Michael
Monday, May 16, 2011
Hopkins at Edina
Today was the final day of the regular season, and we finished off with a rescheduled match against Edina, our last Lake Conference opponent and also a strong contender in the section, along with Wayzata and South.
From talking with former players, I've gathered that Hopkins boys tennis has not beaten Edina for at least eight years. I can't find the data online, but I can be pretty sure that it's probably been closer to twenty-eight years.
Although we may have been considered the favorite going into today's match, we knew that Edina is a tennis factory and will always have solid and deep teams. We went with the same lineup that we played against Maple Grove. Singles: Ryan, myself, Manny, Clay. Doubles: Brandon/Rust, Andy Novak/Zach, Andy Harris/Kenny.
Please keep in mind that my match was the last to finish today, so, for the most part, I wasn't aware of the matches coming off as I was playing, but I saw enough and talked to everyone after the match. Also, Edina's unorthodox court setup makes it difficult to see the doubles matches if you're playing singles and vice-versa.
The first two matches done today were #2 and #3 doubles. Zach and Andy Novak finished first, with a 6-2, 6-3 win. Andy Harris and Kenny also won shortly after, 6-1, 6-3. Edina took the next match at #1 doubles, with Brandon and Andrew Rust losing in two tight sets. Edina 1, Hopkins 2.
Meanwhile, the singles matches were going as usual. Ryan, Manny, and I won our first sets, while Clay dropped his. Manny finished his second set off pretty quickly, and won 6-2, 6-1. Clay and Ryan finished at about the same time, Clay was defeated, but Ryan won. Edina 1, Hopkins 4.
Ryan won just as my match was reaching its climax. I had won the first set 6-2, but I was then broken to begin the second set. My opponent, Kavir Kumar, was able to hold serve until he was serving for the set at 5-4. I held and went into the changeover up 6-5. He then regained some confidence on his serve and forced a tiebreak. I won the first three points, before dropping the next three. At the six-point changeover was when Ryan won his match. I then got another mini-break to go up 6-3, before he won both of his service points to get back to 6-5. With my first match point on my serve, I was able to finish it off with an ace.
Final score: Edina 2, Hopkins 5.
Although it doesn't mean much, this win gave us the Lake Conference title, which has gone to Edina almost every year in recent history. Tomorrow we have practice, and Coach Novak will be going to the section meeting tomorrow night, where the team and individual draws will be made. I'll post the link to the draws when they are made available.
Until then,
Michael
From talking with former players, I've gathered that Hopkins boys tennis has not beaten Edina for at least eight years. I can't find the data online, but I can be pretty sure that it's probably been closer to twenty-eight years.
Although we may have been considered the favorite going into today's match, we knew that Edina is a tennis factory and will always have solid and deep teams. We went with the same lineup that we played against Maple Grove. Singles: Ryan, myself, Manny, Clay. Doubles: Brandon/Rust, Andy Novak/Zach, Andy Harris/Kenny.
Please keep in mind that my match was the last to finish today, so, for the most part, I wasn't aware of the matches coming off as I was playing, but I saw enough and talked to everyone after the match. Also, Edina's unorthodox court setup makes it difficult to see the doubles matches if you're playing singles and vice-versa.
The first two matches done today were #2 and #3 doubles. Zach and Andy Novak finished first, with a 6-2, 6-3 win. Andy Harris and Kenny also won shortly after, 6-1, 6-3. Edina took the next match at #1 doubles, with Brandon and Andrew Rust losing in two tight sets. Edina 1, Hopkins 2.
Meanwhile, the singles matches were going as usual. Ryan, Manny, and I won our first sets, while Clay dropped his. Manny finished his second set off pretty quickly, and won 6-2, 6-1. Clay and Ryan finished at about the same time, Clay was defeated, but Ryan won. Edina 1, Hopkins 4.
Ryan won just as my match was reaching its climax. I had won the first set 6-2, but I was then broken to begin the second set. My opponent, Kavir Kumar, was able to hold serve until he was serving for the set at 5-4. I held and went into the changeover up 6-5. He then regained some confidence on his serve and forced a tiebreak. I won the first three points, before dropping the next three. At the six-point changeover was when Ryan won his match. I then got another mini-break to go up 6-3, before he won both of his service points to get back to 6-5. With my first match point on my serve, I was able to finish it off with an ace.
Final score: Edina 2, Hopkins 5.
Although it doesn't mean much, this win gave us the Lake Conference title, which has gone to Edina almost every year in recent history. Tomorrow we have practice, and Coach Novak will be going to the section meeting tomorrow night, where the team and individual draws will be made. I'll post the link to the draws when they are made available.
Until then,
Michael
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Hopkins at Maple Grove
Today we finished off the week with a trip up North to Maple Grove. Any time schools outside the metro play a Lake Conference team, they always get fired up, so we knew it wouldn't be easy to come away with a victory.
Our lineup today was the same as Wednesday's match against SPA, with Clay at #4 singles. Manny (6-1. 6-3) won first, shortly followed by Ryan (6-0, 6-1) and then myself (6-0, 6-1). Maple Grove 0, Hopkins 3.
All three of our doubles teams won their first sets, a continuance of their good playing from the SPA match. However, Clay dropped his first, 6-1.
#1 doubles (Brandon/Rust) won next, 6-3, 6-4. This win was quickly followed by #3 (Kenny/Andy Harris), and then #2 (Andy Novak/Zach). Maple Grove 0, Hopkins 6.
Clay started to play much better towards the end of his second set, but came up short and lost the match 6-1, 6-3.
Final score: Maple Grove 1, Hopkins 6.
The match at Edina has been rescheduled for next Monday, it should be a great match.
Until then,
Michael
Our lineup today was the same as Wednesday's match against SPA, with Clay at #4 singles. Manny (6-1. 6-3) won first, shortly followed by Ryan (6-0, 6-1) and then myself (6-0, 6-1). Maple Grove 0, Hopkins 3.
All three of our doubles teams won their first sets, a continuance of their good playing from the SPA match. However, Clay dropped his first, 6-1.
#1 doubles (Brandon/Rust) won next, 6-3, 6-4. This win was quickly followed by #3 (Kenny/Andy Harris), and then #2 (Andy Novak/Zach). Maple Grove 0, Hopkins 6.
Clay started to play much better towards the end of his second set, but came up short and lost the match 6-1, 6-3.
Final score: Maple Grove 1, Hopkins 6.
The match at Edina has been rescheduled for next Monday, it should be a great match.
Until then,
Michael
Friday, May 13, 2011
Rainout
Sorry for the delay, blogspot was down for a little while yesterday and I didn't get the chance to post. Due to the rain, our match against Edina was cancelled, and has been rescheduled for Monday.
We've got an away match against Maple Grove today. We don't know much about them, but I've seen some of their results in the newspaper and they've beaten some good teams in their conference, so I'm sure they'll give us a tough battle to round out the week. After going to the Twins game tonight, I'll be sure to give a recap of the match.
Until then,
Michael
We've got an away match against Maple Grove today. We don't know much about them, but I've seen some of their results in the newspaper and they've beaten some good teams in their conference, so I'm sure they'll give us a tough battle to round out the week. After going to the Twins game tonight, I'll be sure to give a recap of the match.
Until then,
Michael
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Hopkins v St. Paul Academy
Today's match was our third in three days, the middle of a packed week. The opponent was St. Paul Academy, or SPA. They've always done well in the 1A (smaller schools) state tournament, and they're returning the 1A singles state champion, John Hill, so we knew we'd have our work cut out for us.
Similar to the match against Eden Prairie on Monday, SPA took their usual second and third singles players and put them into doubles positions. This equated to Manfred (6-0, 6-0) and I (6-0, 6-1) winning within seconds of each other, before most of the other matches had finished their first sets.
In the other five matches, we lost all of the first sets. Clay Thompson played #4 singles, the only change from yesterday's lineup. #3 doubles (Andy Harris/Kenny) forced a tiebreak in the second set, but fell short. Clay was the next one done. He fought really hard against an opponent who, to be honest, was obnoxious whenever he won a point. Hopkins 2, SPA 2.
Clay's opponent seemed to be the most vocal, but some others weren't far behind. I know a few of the SPA guys, and they're great. It's kind of frustrating to see a team that is so good to have to blemish their reputation and embarrass themselves by acting pretty childish. I hate to say that, but, as Coach Novak tells us, act like you've been there before.
Now, the only matches remaining were Ryan and #1 and #2 doubles. #2 (Zach/Andy Novak) won their second set to force a third, and then #1 (Brandon/Rust) followed suit. Meanwhile, Ryan went up 5-2 in his second set.
As the two doubles matches got going in their third sets, Ryan's match started to turn in John Hill's favor. Ryan wasn't necessarily playing badly, but John was serving consistently huge, and Ryan did start to miss more balls, and ended up losing the set in a tiebreak. Ryan wasn't too pleased about how he played, but John's a great player, no shame in losing to him, and I know Ryan will only improve in the next couple weeks. Hopkins 2, SPA 3.
After many ups and downs, both doubles matches found themselves knotted at five games apiece. #2 got a break to go up 6-5, and they held Zach's serve to close out the match. Unfortunately, a minute or two later, #1 lost their set, 7-5, in a similar manner. Both teams played extremely well, the scores could have gone either way for each match.
Final score: Hopkins 3, St. Paul Academy 4.
Tomorrow's match is against Edina, a team that we have been unable to beat for at least eight years, probably many more. Before I go study for my Macronomics and Micronomics AP tests tomorrow, I want to give a special shout-out to Noah Sussman, a proud Hopkins tennis alum who has come out to watch the last few matches. We always appreciate the support! The match tomorrow is away against Edina, followed by a trip to Maple Grove on Friday.
Until then,
Michael
Similar to the match against Eden Prairie on Monday, SPA took their usual second and third singles players and put them into doubles positions. This equated to Manfred (6-0, 6-0) and I (6-0, 6-1) winning within seconds of each other, before most of the other matches had finished their first sets.
In the other five matches, we lost all of the first sets. Clay Thompson played #4 singles, the only change from yesterday's lineup. #3 doubles (Andy Harris/Kenny) forced a tiebreak in the second set, but fell short. Clay was the next one done. He fought really hard against an opponent who, to be honest, was obnoxious whenever he won a point. Hopkins 2, SPA 2.
Clay's opponent seemed to be the most vocal, but some others weren't far behind. I know a few of the SPA guys, and they're great. It's kind of frustrating to see a team that is so good to have to blemish their reputation and embarrass themselves by acting pretty childish. I hate to say that, but, as Coach Novak tells us, act like you've been there before.
Now, the only matches remaining were Ryan and #1 and #2 doubles. #2 (Zach/Andy Novak) won their second set to force a third, and then #1 (Brandon/Rust) followed suit. Meanwhile, Ryan went up 5-2 in his second set.
As the two doubles matches got going in their third sets, Ryan's match started to turn in John Hill's favor. Ryan wasn't necessarily playing badly, but John was serving consistently huge, and Ryan did start to miss more balls, and ended up losing the set in a tiebreak. Ryan wasn't too pleased about how he played, but John's a great player, no shame in losing to him, and I know Ryan will only improve in the next couple weeks. Hopkins 2, SPA 3.
After many ups and downs, both doubles matches found themselves knotted at five games apiece. #2 got a break to go up 6-5, and they held Zach's serve to close out the match. Unfortunately, a minute or two later, #1 lost their set, 7-5, in a similar manner. Both teams played extremely well, the scores could have gone either way for each match.
Final score: Hopkins 3, St. Paul Academy 4.
Tomorrow's match is against Edina, a team that we have been unable to beat for at least eight years, probably many more. Before I go study for my Macronomics and Micronomics AP tests tomorrow, I want to give a special shout-out to Noah Sussman, a proud Hopkins tennis alum who has come out to watch the last few matches. We always appreciate the support! The match tomorrow is away against Edina, followed by a trip to Maple Grove on Friday.
Until then,
Michael
Hopkins v Benilde, St. Margaret's
Today's match against Benilde was a good opportunity to bounce back after our first loss of the season yesterday to Eden Prairie. Today's lineup was the same as yesterday's except for Jeremy Steinman at #4 singles and, after their win yesterday, Brandon and Rust were moved back up to #1 doubles.
The first completed match today was (finally) not a singles match. #2 doubles (Zach/Andy Novak) were off the court first, in a comprehensive win. This was followed by my victory at #2 singles and then Manny's at #3. Hopkins 3, Benilde 0.
Next off was #1 doubles, who, after winning their first set quickly, battled through a second to win in straight sets. #3 doubles had a very similar situation, and they were forced to a tiebreak in the second, before pulling out the victory.
Meanwhile, at #4 singles, Jeremy was having an up-and-down match. His match was right next to mine, so I was able to see a decent amount of it. He started off well, but lost a tight first set, and went down early in the second, and unfortunately wasn't able to come back. Hopkins 5, Benilde 1.
We actually haven't been able to win a match at #4 singles this year, with a rotation of players, but I know that win will come, as the match experience and practice will no doubt pay off soon.
Ryan's match was the last one on. He won the first set, and then fell down a break in the second, 4-1. He was then able to get the break back and eventually forced a second-set tiebreak. With both teams watching, Ryan came through and won the tiebreak to win the match.
Final score: Hopkins 6, Benilde, St. Margaret's 1.
We've got a tough opponent tomorrow in St. Paul Academy, again at home.
Until then,
Michael
The first completed match today was (finally) not a singles match. #2 doubles (Zach/Andy Novak) were off the court first, in a comprehensive win. This was followed by my victory at #2 singles and then Manny's at #3. Hopkins 3, Benilde 0.
Next off was #1 doubles, who, after winning their first set quickly, battled through a second to win in straight sets. #3 doubles had a very similar situation, and they were forced to a tiebreak in the second, before pulling out the victory.
Meanwhile, at #4 singles, Jeremy was having an up-and-down match. His match was right next to mine, so I was able to see a decent amount of it. He started off well, but lost a tight first set, and went down early in the second, and unfortunately wasn't able to come back. Hopkins 5, Benilde 1.
We actually haven't been able to win a match at #4 singles this year, with a rotation of players, but I know that win will come, as the match experience and practice will no doubt pay off soon.
Ryan's match was the last one on. He won the first set, and then fell down a break in the second, 4-1. He was then able to get the break back and eventually forced a second-set tiebreak. With both teams watching, Ryan came through and won the tiebreak to win the match.
Final score: Hopkins 6, Benilde, St. Margaret's 1.
We've got a tough opponent tomorrow in St. Paul Academy, again at home.
Until then,
Michael
Monday, May 9, 2011
Hopkins at Eden Prairie
Well, I knew the first loss of the season would come eventually. I'm glad it came today, rather than in a few weeks. On a warm and windy day today, we fell 4-3 to Eden Prairie.
Getting onto the bus today, we knew a very good team was awaiting us. EP won the state championship last year, and only lost one or two players from that team. Their lineup kind of baffled us, as they were missing their usual #2 singles player and decided to put their #3 and #4 singles players onto #1 and #3 doubles, respectively. After the lineups were announced and before everyone went out on the court, Ryan and I told the team to forget about lineups and matchups and just play your match. As I said to (the legendary) Ken Novak, Sr. after the match: "It is what it is." In other words, you can only play who you're playing.
Nevertheless, the first three matches done were reminiscent of the last few matches: I won at #2 singles, Manny won at #3, and Jackson lost at #4.
Normally, the matches are pretty easy to follow, because the scorecards on each court are flipped to show the score during each changeover. Today we had none. Nothing too major, but very inconvenient for everyone in attendance. My dad told me afterwards that an EP parent actually asked him to complain to the EP coach on his behalf. He said he would do it himself, but his son would get moved down in the lineup. Hmmm. Probably said jokingly, but that still doesn't hold the EP coach in a great light.
Due to the absence of the scorecards, it was difficult to follow all of the matches going on, but I gathered that Ryan had lost his first set, as had #1 doubles (Andy Novak/Zach) and #3 doubles (Andy Harris/Kenny). #2 doubles (Brandon/Rust) won their first.
All three doubles matches ended in straight sets. Eden Prairie 3, Hopkins 3.
Ryan's opponent today was Scott Elsass, who has unfortunately been struggling with a shoulder injury most of this season and has been able to play only on a limited basis. It certainly looked healthy today. Ryan battled in the first set, but lost it 6-4. After going down 4-1 in the second, Ryan again fought to get a break back and went into the changeover down 4-3. After Elsass held, Ryan's service game lasted for about fifteen minutes before finally being broken and lost the second, 6-3. I must add, though, that Ryan has not lost this year when he's worn his jersey the correct way. He played his entire match today with an inside-out shirt.
Final score: Eden Prairie 4, Hopkins 3.
EP is a great team, but we know we can beat them, and hopefully we'll get the opportunity later this month. As Coach Novak says, anytime you lose, you want to be able to play again right away. We've got that opportunity in a home match against Benilde St. Margaret's tomorrow.
Until then,
Michael
Getting onto the bus today, we knew a very good team was awaiting us. EP won the state championship last year, and only lost one or two players from that team. Their lineup kind of baffled us, as they were missing their usual #2 singles player and decided to put their #3 and #4 singles players onto #1 and #3 doubles, respectively. After the lineups were announced and before everyone went out on the court, Ryan and I told the team to forget about lineups and matchups and just play your match. As I said to (the legendary) Ken Novak, Sr. after the match: "It is what it is." In other words, you can only play who you're playing.
Nevertheless, the first three matches done were reminiscent of the last few matches: I won at #2 singles, Manny won at #3, and Jackson lost at #4.
Normally, the matches are pretty easy to follow, because the scorecards on each court are flipped to show the score during each changeover. Today we had none. Nothing too major, but very inconvenient for everyone in attendance. My dad told me afterwards that an EP parent actually asked him to complain to the EP coach on his behalf. He said he would do it himself, but his son would get moved down in the lineup. Hmmm. Probably said jokingly, but that still doesn't hold the EP coach in a great light.
Due to the absence of the scorecards, it was difficult to follow all of the matches going on, but I gathered that Ryan had lost his first set, as had #1 doubles (Andy Novak/Zach) and #3 doubles (Andy Harris/Kenny). #2 doubles (Brandon/Rust) won their first.
All three doubles matches ended in straight sets. Eden Prairie 3, Hopkins 3.
Ryan's opponent today was Scott Elsass, who has unfortunately been struggling with a shoulder injury most of this season and has been able to play only on a limited basis. It certainly looked healthy today. Ryan battled in the first set, but lost it 6-4. After going down 4-1 in the second, Ryan again fought to get a break back and went into the changeover down 4-3. After Elsass held, Ryan's service game lasted for about fifteen minutes before finally being broken and lost the second, 6-3. I must add, though, that Ryan has not lost this year when he's worn his jersey the correct way. He played his entire match today with an inside-out shirt.
Final score: Eden Prairie 4, Hopkins 3.
EP is a great team, but we know we can beat them, and hopefully we'll get the opportunity later this month. As Coach Novak says, anytime you lose, you want to be able to play again right away. We've got that opportunity in a home match against Benilde St. Margaret's tomorrow.
Until then,
Michael
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Congratulations, Coach
Today's match against Eden Prairie was postponed until next Monday, due to some of our players not being available.
Also not being available this weekend will be Coach Novak. He will be in Las Vegas receiving this award: http://rise.espn.go.com/boys-basketball/articles/2011/05/02-coach-of-the-year.aspx He doesn't seem to want to make a big deal of it, so the only thing I'll say is this: I believe that he could coach any sport at any level and be extremely successful. We're lucky to have him here at Hopkins.
For practice tomorrow, we'll be welcoming back a familiar face, Ali King (formerly Ali Barnett)! She, of course, had coached Ryan and I for the last five years, but is taking a maternity leave for this season. She'll be covering for Novak tomorrow, and we're excited to see her.
The moving of the EP match, on top of all of the other rescheduled matches due to rain, means that we will have matches every day next week:
Monday: Hopkins at Eden Prairie
Tuesday: Hopkins v Benilde St. Margaret's
Wednesday: Hopkins v St. Paul Academy
Thursday: Hopkins at Edina
Friday: Hopkins at Maple Grove
These are the final regular-season matches, and every one should be a tough test. For all of those going to prom on Saturday (even I managed to find a date!): be safe and don't be stupid. Eden Prairie should be epic, and I'll be back to give a recap of the match on Monday.
Until then,
Michael
Also not being available this weekend will be Coach Novak. He will be in Las Vegas receiving this award: http://rise.espn.go.com/boys-basketball/articles/2011/05/02-coach-of-the-year.aspx He doesn't seem to want to make a big deal of it, so the only thing I'll say is this: I believe that he could coach any sport at any level and be extremely successful. We're lucky to have him here at Hopkins.
For practice tomorrow, we'll be welcoming back a familiar face, Ali King (formerly Ali Barnett)! She, of course, had coached Ryan and I for the last five years, but is taking a maternity leave for this season. She'll be covering for Novak tomorrow, and we're excited to see her.
The moving of the EP match, on top of all of the other rescheduled matches due to rain, means that we will have matches every day next week:
Monday: Hopkins at Eden Prairie
Tuesday: Hopkins v Benilde St. Margaret's
Wednesday: Hopkins v St. Paul Academy
Thursday: Hopkins at Edina
Friday: Hopkins at Maple Grove
These are the final regular-season matches, and every one should be a tough test. For all of those going to prom on Saturday (even I managed to find a date!): be safe and don't be stupid. Eden Prairie should be epic, and I'll be back to give a recap of the match on Monday.
Until then,
Michael
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Hopkins v Wayzata
Today was our seventh match of the season, and we managed to earn our seventh victory. The win against Wayzata today was far from easy. They came in as the top-ranked team in the state, and we could see why they're getting so much attention. They've always been a deep team with strong doubles players, and this year is no exception.
We went with the same lineup as yesterday: Singles: Ryan, myself, Manny, Jackson; doubles: Brandon/Rust, Andy Novak/Zach Miller, Kenny/Andy Harris.
Unfortunately, Jackson was the first done today, and his result was the same as yesterday. As I told him after the match today, I believe that he didn't attack and come to the net enough, whereas he tried to come into the net a little too much yesterday.
Next off was #1 doubles, a Wayzata victory. Hopkins 0, Wayzata 2.
We then evened the score up at 2, with a victory by Manny at #3, and then me at #2. Now, with three matches remaining, the match could have gone either way.
Both #2 and #3 doubles split their first two sets, and were beginning their thirds, while Ryan won his first set in a tiebreak and was up 5-2 in the second. #3 (Kenny/Andy Harris) had battled back to win their second set after losing the first, but lost the third, 0-6. Hopkins 2, Wayzata 3.
Now, just Ryan and #2 doubles (Andy Novak/Zach Miller) were still playing. Andy and Zach got an early break and maintained it until they were broken back at 4-4. But they got the break right back, and went into the changeover 5-4, with Zach to serve. Just as they began the tenth game of the set, Ryan lost his second set. I must say that today's match was uncharacteristic of Ryan, losing the second set after being up 5-2, but I was still confident that he would pull it out in the third.
Zach and Andy wasted no time holding Zach's serve and closing out the set and the match. Now, with the match knotted at 3, the team battle came down to Ryan's final set against Dustin Britton.
From the start of the third set, we could tell that Ryan was a man on a mission. I don't know for sure, but I'd bet that Ryan was completely aware of the team's situation. Dustin definitely didn't play badly, as the first two sets' scores show, but Ryan proved too much in the third: 6-0.
Final score: Hopkins 4, Wayzata 3.
Today's victory was great, but as Coach Novak told us afterwards: we can celebreate a little today, but the results only really matter during the section tournament. We've got a scrimmage at Mounds View tomorrow, a top team in the state, including the top-ranked player, Wyatt McCoy.
Until then,
Michael
We went with the same lineup as yesterday: Singles: Ryan, myself, Manny, Jackson; doubles: Brandon/Rust, Andy Novak/Zach Miller, Kenny/Andy Harris.
Unfortunately, Jackson was the first done today, and his result was the same as yesterday. As I told him after the match today, I believe that he didn't attack and come to the net enough, whereas he tried to come into the net a little too much yesterday.
Next off was #1 doubles, a Wayzata victory. Hopkins 0, Wayzata 2.
We then evened the score up at 2, with a victory by Manny at #3, and then me at #2. Now, with three matches remaining, the match could have gone either way.
Both #2 and #3 doubles split their first two sets, and were beginning their thirds, while Ryan won his first set in a tiebreak and was up 5-2 in the second. #3 (Kenny/Andy Harris) had battled back to win their second set after losing the first, but lost the third, 0-6. Hopkins 2, Wayzata 3.
Now, just Ryan and #2 doubles (Andy Novak/Zach Miller) were still playing. Andy and Zach got an early break and maintained it until they were broken back at 4-4. But they got the break right back, and went into the changeover 5-4, with Zach to serve. Just as they began the tenth game of the set, Ryan lost his second set. I must say that today's match was uncharacteristic of Ryan, losing the second set after being up 5-2, but I was still confident that he would pull it out in the third.
Zach and Andy wasted no time holding Zach's serve and closing out the set and the match. Now, with the match knotted at 3, the team battle came down to Ryan's final set against Dustin Britton.
From the start of the third set, we could tell that Ryan was a man on a mission. I don't know for sure, but I'd bet that Ryan was completely aware of the team's situation. Dustin definitely didn't play badly, as the first two sets' scores show, but Ryan proved too much in the third: 6-0.
Final score: Hopkins 4, Wayzata 3.
Today's victory was great, but as Coach Novak told us afterwards: we can celebreate a little today, but the results only really matter during the section tournament. We've got a scrimmage at Mounds View tomorrow, a top team in the state, including the top-ranked player, Wyatt McCoy.
Until then,
Michael
Hopkins at Saint Louis Park
After we had the weekend off, we started off a big week at Saint Louis Park.
In past years, SLP has been very strong, and they were able to beat us a few years ago. However, this year is a rebuilding year for them.
Today's lineup was as follows: Singles: Ryan, myself, Manny, Jackson (first varsity match); doubles: Brandon/Rust, Andy Novak/Zach, Kenny Novak/Andy Harris.
The match was pretty quick, with all matches ending in straight sets. We won all of the matches except for Jackson at #4 singles. It was his first match, so I'm sure he was a little nervous. He definitely gained some great experience, though.
Hopkins 6, St. Louis Park 1.
We've got a huge one against Wayzata tomorrow. As Novak always says, the results only matter during sections, but a win tomorrow could give us the top seed in the section tournament.
Until then,
Michael
In past years, SLP has been very strong, and they were able to beat us a few years ago. However, this year is a rebuilding year for them.
Today's lineup was as follows: Singles: Ryan, myself, Manny, Jackson (first varsity match); doubles: Brandon/Rust, Andy Novak/Zach, Kenny Novak/Andy Harris.
The match was pretty quick, with all matches ending in straight sets. We won all of the matches except for Jackson at #4 singles. It was his first match, so I'm sure he was a little nervous. He definitely gained some great experience, though.
Hopkins 6, St. Louis Park 1.
We've got a huge one against Wayzata tomorrow. As Novak always says, the results only matter during sections, but a win tomorrow could give us the top seed in the section tournament.
Until then,
Michael
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