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