This week the Boys Varsity Tennis team finished off their season with a resounding win over neighboring Andover High. After losing their previous three matches, Andover knew that this match would be important for their momentum going into the Individual Interscholastic Championship this weekend. After the introductions, the boys headed out to the courts determined to win. The first player to finish was John Weigel ’05 at number four. With deep forehands to his opponent’s weak backhand, Weigel quickly won 8-0. Shortly following Weigel was Daniel Wagman ’06, playing number three. He came in with an 8-2 win to put Andover up 2-0. Coming off of a recent wrist injury, Adam Draper ’04 had a tough time with his number five opponent. Draper was up 6-5 towards the end of the match only to lose 8-6. With Andover up 2-1, Michael Li ’06 won once again at the number one position, making his record the best on the team. After losing the first game, Li came back in true Andover fashion to eight straight games to make the final score 8-1. Finishing at the same time was Ben Grant ‘05, a consistent baseliner with solid form on all of his strokes. Grant, playing a similar player to himself, said after the match, “It took me awhile to adjust to being the aggressor and that definitely contributed to my slow play. I rarely see players similar to me in style, but today I played someone who pushed more than I did.” Grant, after adjusting to the new style of play, came out with an 8-4 win for the Big Blue. The most exciting match of the day came at the hands of number two, Captain Russel Dykema ’04. After trading games with his opponent, Dykema squeaked by with a win. Immediately following the match, Dykema said, “It was one of those days where everything just went barely out. No matter what I did, I always seemed to be giving my opponent points. However, I pulled my game together in the end right when it counted.” In doubles, Li and Draper had the hardest time with their opponents. But because of Li’s stellar volleys and Draper’s hard serve, they won 8-5. Dykema and Weigel also easily dispatched of their opponents 8-2 while Wagman and Grant won 8-4. Overall, this was a good win for Andover. Not only did it give them confidence for this weekend, but it gave them valuable match experience. “Probably the best thing about the match,” said Draper afterwards, “was how dominant we were. It’s always fun to win big.”
