By Rod Pakus, HKHS Tennis Coach
(May 6, 2024) — The Haddam-Killingworth High School Boys Tennis team played two close home matches, losing to East Hampton, and beating Cromwell in matches decided by the outcome of the seventh and last match in each contest.
In the match with East Hampton, the Cougars jumped out to a three-match lead only to have the East Hampton team come back strongly and win the last four matches.
Against Cromwell, the Cougars again raced out to a three- match lead with Captains Bryce Leiberman, Eddie White and Joe Wessinger scoring straight-set wins. Cromwell tied the score by winning matches at the #4 singles position and first and second doubles. H-K’s duo of Senior Thomas Young and Junior Larson Mc Laughlin then won the deciding match at #3 doubles playing two 6-6 set tiebreaks and having dropped the first set in one of those tie breaks.
Individual Match Scores are as follows:
East Hampton Match
Singles
#1 Eddie White (H-K) d. Anthony Miro (EH) (6-0,6-0)
#2 Bryce Leiberman (H-K) d. Matt Correira (EH) (6-0,6-1)
#3 Joe Wessinger (H-K) d. Zach Lelger (EH) (6-4,6-0)
#4 Elliot Rowland (EH) d. Chase Smalley (H-K) (7-6 TB 7-4, 6-4)
Doubles
#1 Natis/Nichols (EH) d Stevens/Merwin (H-K) (6-3,6-3)
#2 Ledas/Ondas (EH) d. Livingston/Frolich (H-K) (6-2,7-5)
#3 Nolan/Bothamley (EH) d. Castelli/Lucero (H-K) (6-3,6-2)
Cromwell Match
Singles
#1 Bryce Leiberman (H-K) d David B (C) (6-0,6-0)
#2 Eddie White (H-K) d Darragh McNeil (C) (6-1, 6-0)
#3 Joe Wessinger (H-K) d Thomas Gradzki (C) (6-1, 6-3)
#4 Thomas Garcia (C) d. Chase Smalley (H-K) (7-5, 7-6 TB 9-7)
Doubles
#1 Srirmalinga/Bishop (C) d. Stevens/Castelli (H-K) (6-2,6-2)
#2 Aiden/Matt (C) d. Livingston/Frolich (H-K) (6-1, 3-6, 6-4)
#3 McLaughlin/Young (H-K) d. Marco/Max (C) (6-7 TB4-7. 7-6 TB7-4, 6-4)
