First doubles, Lu secure flights
By Justin Feil, Assistant Sports Editor
Kim Szakats and Emily Roeper have wanted to play together for a long time.
This year, the two have their chance at first doubles for the Montgomery High School girls tennis team, and they have shown quickly what makes them so special together.
”Me and Emily, we have a lot of chemistry together,” Szakats said. “Our pros and cons, they both equal out. We play really well. We’ve been training together for three years. This year, we’re finally able to be together on the team. It’s exciting we were finally able to be together as partners.”
Szakats and Roeper remained unbeaten when they won the first doubles final, 6-1, 6-1, over Ridge to seal the Somerset County Tournament team championship for the Cougars on Sunday.
”It was great, especially after last year when I got to the finals I wasn’t able to win,” said Szakats, a senior. “It was great to get there and get that win in championships.”
Montgomery had defeated Ridge in the regular season as well, and they were able to duplicate the feat on a bigger stage.
”We know they’re a very strong team,” Szakats said. “We went in knowing we had to play our absolute best, and I think we did that.”
Both players had reached SCT finals last year, Szakats at second doubles and Roeper at first doubles, but none of the Cougars three finalists won last year. That experience had value.
”I think last year, it was my first year being in the county final,” said Roeper, a junior. “It was sort of unexpected. We knew we’d get pretty far. This year, it was like we know what the situation is and how to handle the pressure. This year, we had to get it done and get it done quickly to secure the win for us.”
MHS had four flights reach the finals. Shannon Lu continued her strong season when she won the second singles flight, 6-0, 6-4, over Sharon Jin of Gill St. Bernards to avenge a quarterfinal loss a year ago. Lily Chu reached the third singles final, and Julia Spiegler and Claire Boudreau reached the second doubles final. Both Chu and the second doubles fell to Ridge representatives. Ridge finished second in the team standings. It’s the first title since 2010 for MHS.
”It was huge for us,” Roeper said. “I believe it’s the first year in a couple years that we’ve been able to do this. We got three teams to the final last year. Even though we were close to Ridge, once we secured the win, it was a great feeling for all of us.”
The Cougars are off to a terrific start to their season. Roeper and Szakats haven’t dropped a set yet this season.
”I knew we were going to be a pretty good team,” Roeper said. “I didn’t know we’d be undefeated so far. It’s great for us. We didn’t expect to be undefeated. We’re proud of everything we’re doing.”
Roeper is in her third year at first doubles. Each year, she has had a new partner.”I’ve had a senior every year,” she said, “which is tough because they’re all my friends.”
Each year, Roeper sends off her partner and welcomes in a new one. In Szakats, she has another good pairing, one she is quite familiar with after hitting together for years. It’s given them immediate success.
”It’s our style of play,” Roeper said. “Kim is amazing at net. She can get everything that comes to her. I love to play back and keep the rallies long. It works for us. When you have two people that play so completely different, it works out. And our communication helps a lot.”
Szakats played second doubles last year, but with the graduation of her partner, she had the chance to move up this year. It’s her second year in the varsity lineup, and Roeper has helped her adjust to being at the first doubles level.
”Emily is extremely consistent,” Szakats said. “It’s always nice to have that. We always play off each other well. We just play well together.
”I’m definitely a doubles player all-around. Emily is great to have by your side. She’s always calming you down. Having someone there will always reassure you and keep you motivated. I enjoy that.”
They had plenty of motivation entering the county final. Both had lost the year before, and they hadn’t forgotten it.
”We knew our finals would be hard and we lost,” Szakats said. “We wanted to win to fulfill that loss. We wanted to get that satisfaction.”
Now, going forward, the two have more confidence. They have seen what they can do together.
”I definitely think we’re more confident,” Roeper said. “It helps our confidence (to have won SCT). Compared to starting the season, you don’t know any of the teams and the new players and how they’re going to be. After counties, we’ve been through every team once. We kind of know our competition. We have more confidence going forward that we have beaten these teams before. But you can never be overconfident.”
Szakats doesn’t think overconfidence will be an issue. Both she and Roeper are staying plenty grounded despite their fast start.
”We haven’t played three-setters yet,” but I feel like every team has been a challenge,” Szakats said. “We haven’t had an easy match yet.”
After winning the SCT, they don’t expect matches to be easier. Now they have a target on their backs.
”I think our big focus is on states,” Roeper said. “We’re trying to win every single match. We take it one match at a time and try to have that undefeated record.
”Our focus is states. It’s tough. You’re facing teams you haven’t heard of or seen on the court. We have to work up to that and be ready when we face them. We’re ready for every situation we can face. Hopefully we can do well.”
It will help that the close friends will head into every match together. It’s an intangible that not every doubles pairing has, and it has made a difference.
”I feel like at the end of the day, it all comes down to the chemistry,” Szakats said. “Emily has always been able to motivate me to keep going when I feel down. I think that brings us through and makes us successful in the end.”