LHS wants an unexpected win

TENNIS

By: Tim Falls
   The Lawrence High School varsity team is looking for a win it is not supposed to get.
   The Cardinals came close on Monday in a 4-1 loss to West Windsor-Plainsboro North.
   While the Knights had four points to Lawrence’s one, the match really could have gone the other way with first and second singles and second doubles all going three sets.
   "We know we had a chance," said Lawrence junior Jamie Ciccone. "We had a lot of three-set matches. We’re still trying to get one we’re not supposed to get."
   Ciccone recorded the Cardinals’ only win with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory at second singles.
   "It was consistency," said Ciccone. "We had a lot of really long points. It was the stamina to keep the points going."
   The Knights’ Ed Chang took the first set against Ciccone, forcing the Lawrence junior to reevaluate his game.
   "After that first set I took a moment to sit down and think about what I needed to do," said Ciccone. "I needed to be more consistent and a little more conservative."
   John Stracquatanio lost first singles in three sets, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.
   While Stracquatanio won the second set, it was quickly becoming apparent that his back was bothering more and more with each point the Lawrence senior played.
   "I’m fragile," said Stracquatanio. "My body keeps falling apart."
   Stacquatanio said his back as been bothering him for years and he couldn’t keep up by the end of his match.
   "He had a nice forehand," said Stracquatanio. "I kept trying to give it to his backhand."
   Like Ciccone, Stracquatanio is looking for an upset and could have gotten a chance in a match against Hopewell yesterday.
   "I want an upset," said Stracquatanio highlighting several top players, including Hopewell Valley’s Matt McGranaghan.
   Even though Travis McGaughan’s match at third singles only went two sets, he still shared his teammate’s frustration with a 6-1, 7-5 loss.
   McGaughan left the court joking about how he hated tennis and that it was a stupid sport.
   Mike Cohen and Roshan Bhagat pushed WW-P North’s second doubles team to three sets, but lost, 2-6, 6-2, 6-3.
   Dustin Kong and Vic Gulati lost first doubles, 6-3, 6-4.
   Cohen and Shayyan Fazle recorded the Cardinals’ only win in a 4-1 loss to Princeton last Friday.
   Cohen and Fazle took second doubles, 6-4, 7-6, while Stracuatanio dropped first singles, 6-3, 7-6, Ciccone lost second singles, 6-4, 6-4, McGaughan fell at third singles, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4, and Gulati and Bhagat lost at first doubles, 6-2, 6-2.