WW-PS second, PHS third at MCT
By: Justin Feil
The Hun School tennis team breathed a sigh of relief after winning one of the closest Mercer County Tournaments since the current flights format was adopted in 1989.
The Raiders captured a sixth straight title, but not without some tremendous challenges. It was par for the course as no less than eight matches out of 18 played went to three sets, including three out of four in the first doubles flight.
Hun won with 33 points, followed by West Windsor-Plainsboro South with 25 points. Princeton High was third with 21 points and Stuart Country Day was fourth with 18 points. The Tartans’ Sarah Horton and Alex Abad were crowned second doubles champions as prep schools claimed all five flights. Pennington’s Adrienne Markison won the first singles flight.
In the team standings, WW-P North was seventh with eight points and Princeton Day School earned six points. The final results could have changed greatly had the results of a few of those three-setters been different.
"When you get top teams together," said WW-P South head coach Jim Giovacchini, "you’re going to have three-setters."
Giovacchini was happy to see his team come up with the highest finish by a Pirates team since 2001. WW-P South did so on the strength of placing second in one flight and third in three other flights.
"I think they had a great showing," Giovacchini said. "To come up with four medals is incredible. They took home one third-place last year. The team quadrupled that and threatened to take down the five-time champions."
The Pirates, who graduated just one senior from last year’s team, moved up two spots in the standings as all five flights reached the semifinals. At first singles, Joelle Nitzberg lost a three-set match in the semifinals. In second singles, Annie Scharfstein advanced to the finals before losing to Hun’s Hillary Drewry. At third singles, Nisha Javeri lost in three sets in the semifinals but won the consolation. The first doubles team of Allison Kempf and Lelsey Norris lost in three sets in the semifinals but won the consolation, and Julie Afinogenova and Jenna Stanton won the consolation after losing, 7-6, 7-6, in the semifinals.
"Joelle fought like a champion," Giovacchini said. "She really turned it up a notch. She played like a professional. She raised her game at the right time. She’s playing in the toughest spot and leading the team.
"Annie totally overachieved," he added. "She made it to the finals and beat a girl who played No. 1 last year. She fought off about a billion set points in the first set (against Drewry). Annie was phenomenal. Nisha had a good showing, and our first doubles lost 7-6 in the third against the team that’s going to win it."
WW-P South will host MCT third-place finisher PHS today in a key Colonial Valley Conference match. The Pirates will be looking to avenge two losses they had to the Little Tigers in head-to-head matches. PHS was led by Priya Joshi, who finished second in the first singles flight and was the only player to win a game off Markison the entire tournament, and the second doubles team of Liz Haughton and Allegra Bianchini was second as well. Alex Willig finished third in the second singles flight.
"Overall, I’m happy with how we did," said PHS head coach Sarah Heyman. "You always want to win as much as possible. To have two second-place and a third, that’s good. We had a chance to place higher in a couple flights but I’m happy with how we did. I hope they can use it for future matches."
Heyman, too, saw improvements in moving up two spots from last year’s fifth-place finish. The Little Tigers were happy to see that they were able to build on last year’s experience.
"We had a lot back but we had a big loss at first doubles," Heyman said. "Doubles was good. First doubles had a tough loss to West Windsor North and second had a tough loss too. They played a great semifinal. Three different times they were down and came back in the semifinal. In the finals, they lost the first set, but regrouped and played a good second set. Then they came back from 2-5 to even it at 5-all, but I think they were just a little tired."
The team they lost to made some Stuart history as the first Tartans freshmen tandem to win a flight, and the first doubles champions since 2001 from Stuart and only the second in program history since 1989.
"It’s amazing," Abud said. "I didn’t think we’d go that far."
To pull out the victory, the Stuart tandem, which as a five seed was the lowest seeded flight winner Wednesday, had to dig deep. They had no previous county experience from which to draw nor much experience together.
"This match was really long and scary," Horton said. "I had doubts, but I’m happy."
Added Abad: "We’ve only been playing second doubles for a few matches. We work well together. She’s good at the baseline and I’m at the net. It just clicks."
It sets up the Tartan duo for quite a season, and quite a future. Both admitted to still adjusting to getting used to being a favorite, as they figure to be in most matches after winning gold Wednesday.
"I was nervous," Abad said. "No one expects freshmen to win anything. Our second match gave us some confidence. We played West Windsor North and played well in it."
The Knights first doubles team of Sinthu Ranjan and Natasha Sastri lost a hard-fought three-setter in the semifinals before falling in the consolation. They advanced farther than any other North flight. The Knights were competing for the first time in four years without defending first-singles champion Jacqueline Wong in the lineup and the young team battled.
"I feel good about it," Paulsson said. "Our team is adjusting to the challenges. We have some people in new positions. They’re playing as well as they can. Jackie Tseng won and then got knocked off by a seeded player. First doubles defeated Princeton High to make it here. They played two tough matches that could have gone either way.
"Some of our players will raise their level of play from being here," he added. "It’s good to see new teams and a lot of good teams. It helps raise the bar."
PDS had also hoped to raise its level of play, but when illness felled first singles Andrea Spector, the Panthers were forced to slide everyone in its lineup up one flight. PDS still came through with wins in three flights.

