After hitting several forehands in a row, Co-Captain Ethan Wong ’23 forced his opponent into an error, sealing the first set in a tiebreaker against Phillips Exeter Academy (Exeter). Wong went on to win his match 7-6 6-4 for first singles, securing a 6-1 victory over Exeter in the team’s last match of the season on Wednesday.
Prior to the match against Exeter, the team played in the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) playoffs. Andover swept Taft in the quarterfinals but lost 2-4 against Groton in the semifinals. Despite its loss, Kian Burt ’24 was impressed with how close Andover was able to make the match. With each match they lost, it was a tight battle, and many ultimately came down to tiebreakers.
“Our match against Groton was a very even matchup, it was our second match that day, so everyone was a little bit more tired, and it feels like it really could’ve gone either way. I know Kevin [Niu ’25] had a really close first set, he went to a first set tiebreak, and I believe he won 12-10, which is very close. Ethan and Ben [Shin ’26] both went to a tiebreak at the end. They were the last two people playing, so it was a very close match. In doubles it came down to the number one doubles, and it was very close,” said Burt.
When Andover emerged victorious from its match against Exeter, Chase Burke ’25 mentioned how every team member was playing their best. As Andover’s last match of the season, this helped the team finish on a high note.
Burke said, “I would say I am definitely happy about the way the season turned out. We had a dominant 6-1 win against Exeter, everyone was playing their best by the end of the season, and beating Exeter is always a good way to finish a season.”
Brandon Horne ’25 highlighted how competing against opponents at such a high level has allowed for him to improve his tennis skills throughout the season.
“[Playing for Andover] has helped my consistency, especially in doubles play. I’ve improved my volleys and overheads a lot,” said Horne.
Although the team had a slow start, Burt highlighted how the team has made a lot of progress over the season, and how it should be proud of its accomplishments.
“We had very tough matches at the beginning, playing two of our biggest opponents on the same day, but I think we’ve seen a lot of people improve over nine weeks, which was really impressive, and so I’d consider this a strong season,” said Burt.
Several members of Boys Tennis will be competing at Choate for the NEPSITT tournament on Friday and Saturday.
