The boys tennis conference slate enters the final weeks with longtime rivals Waubonsie Valley and Neuqua Valley going head to head on the NV courts.
Two Singles
Two singles starts our day as Naveen Bagchi from Neuqua Valley is challenged by Waubonsie sophomore Pranav Inampudi. Bagchi getting off to a good start with some nice touch close to the net.
After dropping the first set 6-1, Inampudi bounces back early in set two. A nice backhand cross that evades his opponent.
Later in the set, Inampudi is the aggressor, forcing Bagchi to stay near the back. Another backhand off a lob is put out of reach by the Warrior.
But Bagchi regroups and closes things out with a well placed shot near the back corner. The Wildcat senior wins in straight sets 6-1, 6-4.
One Doubles
One doubles is next, a very competitive matchup between Lucas Holder and Aiden Lam from Waubonsie and Tyler Beck and Jack Considine from Neuqua Valley.
Neuqua gets off to a strong start, literally. Jack Considine with a rocket return. Wildcats roll in set one 6-2.
Beck serving the second set as Neuqua has an early lead. Back and forth we go until Lam splits the court while rushing the net. Waubonsie evens things up in set two.
Warriors serving now in the far court. A long rally near the net, nobody can seem to gain the edge. Lam goes for a smash but Considine does a nice job just to get a racket on the ball. Beck then closes out the point. Wildcats one game away from victory.
But the green and gold not giving up. Holder with a great forehand that he spins down the line. Waubonsie forces a third set.
But in the third set, Neuqua is able to hang on and secure the victory. Considine and Beck take set three 6-2 in a well played match.
One Singles
Buckle your seatbelts for one singles, this one is a wild ride. Neuqua Valley freshman Johnny Mou against Waubonsie Valley junior Elliot Dam.
Mou is in control early on. The Wildcat wins the first set 6-3.
Trailing 4-1 in the second set, Dam injures his right calf and struggles to move quickly throughout the remainder of the match. You can notice him hopping on one foot at times after returns and limping to track down the ball. But despite playing hurt, he manages to erase the deficit and force a second set tiebreaker.
Dam does his best to keep Mou near the back and uses several lobs to buy time to get back into position. Here it looks like Mou is finally going to put his opponent away, but Dam digs deep and gets to every ball. Eventually, one of Mou’s returns sails too far and we are heading to a third set.
At this point the match is well over the three hour mark. The tank is near empty for both players, but neither is willing to give in. In set three, Mou is able to get several tough returns and force an error.
We head to yet another tie breaker in the third set. Again you see Dam doing everything he can to keep his opponent on the move, while trying not to move much at all himself. A great shot puts the Warrior on the brink of victory.
But the young Wildcat battles back and as the shadows fall across the court, Dam’s return goes long and Mou wins the tie breaker 8-6. An epic matchup as both players can hardly stay on their feet. Neuqua Valley wins 7-0 over Waubonsie Valley boys tennis on a day where the final team score does not tell the full story.
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