Tennis Round 2 vs St Aloysius’ College

Round 2 of the Winter competition was contested last weekend against St Aloysius’. It was in fact great to get on court and compete after the disappointment of the previous week. Our students were competitive across the board and won the lion’s share of matches on the day. Winning teams included 6ths, 10B, 9A, 8ABD and 7ABCD. The Opens were unable to register many victories despite some very fine play and close results. The most successful Year group in terms of results were the Year 7 teams followed by the Year 8 teams. The Year 10 cohort also did well with a rare draw in the 10A match preventing the clean sweep in that Year group. The Year 9s registered one win and one loss.

The 1st IV made victory unlikely after squandering leads in the doubles component of the match. A plethora of unforced errors during key stages of the encounter allowed the opposition to go four sets up on completion of the doubles component. This was a difficult deficit to claw back, but credit must be given to our students who nearly did the impossible after competing well in the singles. Although the team drew on games 40 all, they lost on sets 3-5 allowing St Aloysius’ the victory. This result illustrates the crucial role of doubles play within this competition. Excellent wins in the singles were registered by Dylan Guler (12Yo), James Kim (11Ar), and Angelo Shi (10Sc). Despite going down in the singles Finn Taylor (10La) must be commended for his excellent stroke-making and match play against a quality opponent, in a highly entertaining spectacle.

The 2nd IV was outplayed by their more consistent opposition to the tune of 1-7. Despite some excellent match play in the doubles we were unable to win the more important points to secure sets. Alex Gavrilovic frustrated his singles opponent with an array of shots and tactics to win the sole Trinity set. Well done, Alex! The team should focus on the things they did well and build upon these things in tomorrow’s fixture against Knox.

Jeremy Dykgraaff | MIC Tennis

3rd and 4th IV Report

Losing both doubles contests was not a good way for the 3rds to start the round against St Aloysius’. And adding to the frustration here was the fact that both Trinity teams had their chances. What followed was quite gripping: three singles sets contained a 7 in the scoreline! Nick Papadopoulos (12He), playing at No.1, took an early lead by using his forehand as effectively as he could. His opponent refused to relent, though, and his willingness to retrieve ball after ball resulted in Nick’s having to contest a tie-break. The good news for him and us: he won the breaker. Adrian Ong (11St) took on the opposition’s No.2 and had the same experience as Nick, except that Adrian could not withstand his opponent’s comeback. He went down 5-7. The third epic was another tie-break: this time Andrew Yang (11Hi) used his killer forehand and big serve to edge out his adversary. The 3rds had to be content with being very competitive, but they now have the knowledge they have what it takes to beat St Aloysius’ in the return fixture.

The 4ths also had to deal with tenacious opponents. Harry Santhiran (11He) and Oliver Highett-Smith (11Hi) were involved in a see-saw contest which ended in a 9-11 loss in the tie-break. That loss was balanced by the doubles victory of Jack Burge (11He) and Caleb Kwan (11Ta). Now we had a contest! Unfortunately, Jack lost a close match 5-7, and Caleb couldn’t maintain the superiority he had shown in the doubles either. It was left to Harry to restore some much needed Trinity singles pride. Playing at No. 1, he used his stylish left-handed serve and equally stylish forehand to good effect to subdue his opponent 6-2. The 4ths find themselves in the same situation as the 3rds: they have the knowledge they could, and perhaps should, win the re-match!

Ashley Lucas | Coach

5th and 6th IV Report

It was a close fixture against St Aloysius’ last weekend with the team going down in a narrow loss. Things were looking good in the doubles, with Alex Jacob (11Fo) and JT Xia (12Fo) playing some solid tennis to ensure a 6-3 victory. Ty Garaci (11Ho) and Lachlan Chung (11Ho) also played a tremendous match going right down to the wire. Unfortunately, they were defeated in the tiebreak 7-4, despite showing a lot of grit and determination. JT continued his form into his singles match, playing some consistent tennis to overcome his opponent 6-4. However, St Aloysius’ proved to be too good in the other singles matches, leaving the team hungry to recover next Saturday.

The 6ths were able to get the win against St Aloysius’ albeit being favored by some forfeits from their opponents. Some good tennis was played all round, but special mention must go to Will Bryan (11Sc) who put up a good fight despite going down 4-6. He played some exceptional points from the baseline and the net and his opponent had to work very hard to win a point against him. Finally, Elliot Kim (12Ta) demolished his opponent 6-1, hitting some blistering forehands on his way. All the boys should be proud of their efforts and can look forward to continuing their momentum into next weekend.

Ritvik Dinesh | Coach

10 A and B Report

Last Saturday the 10As and Bs were made to play their hearts out on cold St Aloysius’ territory. As expected in the As, the fixtures were tightly matched, so much so that Trinity and its opposition were able to produce a rare occurrence: a draw – three sets to three and 26 games a piece. Notably, Tom North (10Hi) was able to dismantle his opponent in a 6-1 thrashing, setting the tone for a great result away from home.
The Bs on the other hand were a different level of class. Trinity oozed precision, perfection and dominance in a 6-0, 36-7 game victory. Each boy should be commended for his efforts. However,  the doubles Matthew partnership of Matthew Zetterberg (10Ho) and Matthew Vickery (10WJ) deserve the joint man of the match award, outshining their opponents 6-0 in both their singles and doubles fixtures and sending their opponents home with some inedible donuts.

Kevin Batliwala | Coach

9A and B Report

With a blue sky beaming and a crisp breeze blowing, the 9As began the winter season against St Aloysius’ with a bang. Strong performances all round resulted in four confident wins and two competitive losses: all entertaining matches which showcased an array of skills. The A1 and A2 doubles duo Christopher Lowe (9Ho) and Maxi Tsai (9Fo) proved too strong in their match up, winning a decisive and speedy 6-1, while A3 and A4 doubles James Davies (9St) and George Stavrakis (9WH) struggled to gain rhythm against their worthy opponents, going down 6-0. In their first game together though, the players will no doubt learn from the experience and improve next week. In the singles, Christopher remained cool and focussed against his opponent to win his match to love, whereas Maxi engaged in a contest of both mind and strength in a thrilling game that had a bit of everything: finesse, power and some outstanding rallies (6-4). James had a shaky start to his match, but soon found his pace to overcome his opponent with measured ground shots and excellent composure, winning six games to three. Culminating in a result that did not truly reflect the competitive nature of the match, George fought hard to take each game to advantage, but was unable to crack through a most impressive opponent. George’s positive attitude, sportsmanship and volleys were highlights, and no doubt he took away a great deal from the experience. Overall, it was a great start to the season and the team should feel proud.

The 9Bs players were unable to match the focus and patience of their opponents on the day. Inconsistent serving, impatient shots and rushing through games resulted in losses in both the doubles and singles. Shaan Mohan (9Ke), Travis Ng (9WJ) and Ravin Chowdhury (9Fo) each showed promise in their game, but they will need to approach their matches with greater determination to overcome the challenges faced. Working on shot accuracy and footwork would also be beneficial. Special mention to Mitchell Bowden (9La) for his efforts during his match: he displayed improved confidence with his serve and engaged in numerous long rallies in a match that was more competitive than the final score suggested. While there were some disappointing results there is much promise in the 9Bs team, and with training and increased resolve, these players will be sure to experience a win sooner rather than later.
A wholehearted thanks to the parents who supported these young men on the day. It was wonderful to see so many of you there.

Claudia Tessadri | Coach

8A and B Report

The 8As played strong tennis this week against St Aloysius’ and tied overall (2(27) – 2(27)).

Khang Nguyen (8WH) and Ishaan Sharma (8Ar), started out their doubles strongly, smashing out consistent groundstroke winners. However, the lack of consistency at the net allowed their opponents to pull away with a 6–4 win. In singles, Khang on many occasions was locked in groundstroke battles with his opponent, and his lack of consistency on the day allowed his opponent to grab a plethora of points and run away with the win. In singles, Ishaan was able to rebound from the doubles and utilize his groundstroke consistency to force errors from his opponent. He was able to pull away with an easy 6–1 win. Alejandro Molina (8Ke) and Toby Zuzza (8WJ) performed very well and dominated their opponents at the net. With great consistency at the net and backcourt, they were able to grab a 6–4 win. Alejandro continued his groundstroke prowess and forced a plethora of errors from his opponent. He was able to break his opponent, which allowed him to pull away with a close 6–4 win. Similarly, Toby played with great tenacity on court, but his opponent was more consistent and was able to pull away with a win.

Much like the As, the 8Bs played very consistent tennis and were able to overcome their Aloysius’ opponents 4–2. Jared Arnold (7Ar) and Ujwal Yadem (8Fo) played with great consistency and vigour. They were able to control the pace of the game and come away with a solid 6–2 win. In singles, despite a 3–6 loss, Jared played with good energy and tenacity on court but was unable to overcome a negative mindset throughout the set.

Ujwal brought the momentum of his doubles game into his singles and utilized his consistent groundstrokes to dismantle his opponent. He was able to come away with a solid 6–1 win. CJ Nguyen (8Yo) and Alexander Ren (8ST) played very well, with great positive communication and effort. The match was very close with both sides trading strong groundstrokes and solid volleys. CJ and Alexander were able to maintain their composure and come away with a close 7–6 win. In singles, CJ played with good energy but due to the lack of groundstroke consistency and a negative mindset, he was unable to overcome his opponent. Alexander played very well in his singles, forcing errors from his opponent using his strong groundstroke consistency. He was able to break early which allowed him to solidify a 6–3 win.

Edward Lai | Coach

8C and D Report

The 8Cs faced a very tough St Aloysius’ side this week, going down six sets to nil. Alexander Kountouris (8Mu) and Jordan Fudeh (8Yo) started strongly in their doubles; however, the lack of consistency allowed their opponents to control each point resulting in a loss. Alex displayed great tenacity and effort on court trading groundstrokes and volleys. However, whilst under pressure, Alex was unable to maintain his consistency resulting in a loss. Similarly, Jordan was unable to overcome his more consistent opponent, going down 6–1. Aakash Viswanathan (8Ta) and Ethan Zhang (8La) played a great game of doubles despite a close 6–4 loss. They fought for every ball and competed well, which is to be applauded. Aakash was unable to regain momentum after his doubles and dropped early service games allowing his opponent to grab the win. Ethan demonstrated his great volley prowess on court, but due to the lack of experience and consistency, Ethan was unable to overcome his opponent.

The 8Ds were unable to overcome a stronger St Aloysius’ side this week, losing four sets to two. The fresh pairing of Benson Liang (8Sc) and Dominic (8Ar) played with great energy on court, but the lack of consistency and communication resulted in a plethora of unforced errors which allowed their opponents to grab the win. Dominic demonstrated his powerful groundstrokes in his singles, easily dismantling his opponent and securing a 6–4 win. Benson fought well in his singles, though due to unforced errors, he was unable to overcome his more consistent opponent. Nicholas Streeton (8St) and Giacomo (8Sc) played their first doubles match together this week and despite a 6–7 loss, they demonstrated great potential to be a dangerous pair. With work on communication and teamwork, they will be able to win more matches in the coming future. In singles, Nicholas was unable to find the confidence to attack the ball, giving his opponent more opportunities to close off the point. This resulted in a loss, but his perseverance is to be commended. Giacomo was unfazed by their doubles loss and bounced back in his singles, winning 6–3. His effort and tenacity on court was impressive and allowed him to consistently hit great shots.

Edward Lai | Coach

7A and B Report

The 7 A and B tennis teams exhibited a dominant performance to win their opening round of the season. In the As, the boys set the tone early with victories in both doubles matches. This trend continued into the singles where Trinity went undefeated on their way to a six sets to nil victory. Special mention should go to Lucas Preston (7WH) who overcame a back injury to win his singles 6-0. Also of note, A1 player, Ryan Qin (11Yo) demonstrated good composure after a dispute over whether a point should be replayed after a ball rolled onto the court mid-rally. He was subsequently able to remain focused on his way to a 6-3 win.
The Bs demonstrated a similar hunger for victory and also won the day six sets to nil. Ollie Jessop (7We) hit some powerful serves which unsettled his opponents. He went on to win his singles 6-2. Roderick Chang (7Yo) played consistent tennis. He looked to get the ball into the court and wait for his opponent to make an error. Roderick won his singles 6-3.

All the boys should be congratulated on their performances. The remainder of this season looks promising if they can demonstrate the same desire for victory, coupled with technical prowess.

Thomas Thorpe | Coach

7C and D Report

The 7 Cs and Ds were victorious in their first round of CAS tennis. This result is especially pleasing because, for many of the boys, it was their first time playing competitive tennis. The Cs won five sets to one. Top doubles pair of Jonathan Nung (7La) and Toby Street (7La) started the round strong. Toby served well, particularly when down break point. He was complemented by Jonathan’s clinical volleying on their way to a 6-2 win. In the singles, Jonathan continued his dominance by winning 6-1. Anish Sukumaran (7La) played a closely contested singles match. He remained calm under the pressure of, at one point, falling behind 2-0, before being down 5-4 in a tie-break. He won his singles 7-6 (8-6).

The Ds won their round four sets to two. The boys combined well in the doubles, winning both sets. Good team chemistry was especially evident between Matthew Walker (7Fo) and Peter Patsalis (7Hi) who, with limited practice together, won their set 6-0. In the singles, Kobe Harb (7Hi) was of note. Kobe, who had not played tennis prior to the start of this season, won both his singles and doubles to start a so far undefeated career in competitive tennis.

The boys will look to continue their progression as tennis players at training this week before their second round of CAS tennis next weekend.

Thomas Thorpe | Coach