4/27 – Andover: 2, Nobles: 5
4/29 – Andover: 0, Exeter: 7
Boys Tennis (2–8) traveled to Noble and Greenough (Nobles) and Phillips Exeter Academy (Exeter) on Monday and Wednesday, respectively. It lost in both of its matchups.
Sean Liu ’28 shared how the team plans to improve upon its doubles play to start each match strong.
“Doubles play is something we will work on a lot moving forward. Even though doubles is worth only one point collectively, we have talked a lot about how it sets the tone for the entire match. Starting strong with doubles is something we want to do consistently for the rest of the season,” said Liu.
George Richardson ’27 shouted out first-seeded player and Co-Captain Ben Shin ’26 for a competitive singles point against Nobles. Despite being down 1–5 in the second set, Shin brought that set’s final score up to 4–6.
“[Shin] lost the first set 6–0, but in the second set, he was down 5–1 and brought it back to 5–3. In tennis, there is a point called deuce, where whoever wins the next point wins the game. If his opponent had won that game, the match would have been over. During that point, Ben made a really tricky shot. I remember him being really hyped after winning that shot because it was a high-pressure moment, and he was match point down,” said Richardson.
Richardson shared how the team does not dwell on losses and finds something to look forward to.
“A lot of our recruits have gotten injured this year, so our team is not at its full potential. But our morale is pretty good. We are all pumped as a team to go out to dinners after away games. Even if we lose, we still have to enjoy something about the season. At this point, we are just looking toward the next day and seeing how we can make the best out of it,” said Richardson.
Co-Captain Jeff Shen ’26 shouted out Richardson for his enthusiasm against Exeter, along with his consistency on the court.
“He was being really consistent on the court and making sure his opponent was not able to get into a rhythm. That was really well done by him, and we are excited to see how he progresses in future matches,” said Shen.
Shen continued, “Another part of his performance today was how loud he was during the shots. He was always bringing energy onto the court. That is really important, especially when we are at an away game like Exeter. The environment can be quite hostile, so being loud, cheering each other up, and being enthusiastic are great ways to maintain team morale. He helped out a lot in that way.”
Shen shared how he and his fellow Co-Captain brought intensity to their doubles match, spreading excitement across multiple courts.
“In my doubles match with my Co-Captain Ben, there was a point where courts two and three were falling behind in the early moments of the match. At one point, Ben and I played a great point with a lot of volleys in succession, and we ended up winning it. We were really loud afterward, and that was a really good moment because we set the tone for the rest of the team,” said Shen.
Shen continued, “We made sure to pump our fists, and even though we could not come out with the doubles point, I think it was a great moment because the entire team cheered. That energy went from court one down to court three, and I think it gave everyone a little boost.”
Boys Tennis will host Roxbury Latin today at 3:45 p.m. and Groton on Monday.
