Slow Start Plagues Tennis

Jackson Miller

From April 2008:

Traveling on a rough path, opening matches have truly tested the will of the Chamblee’s varsity boys’ and girls’ tennis teams.
“We’ve had many close matches, most ending in third set tiebreakers that don’t go our way,” said head coach Chaffraix Rowles.
The team’s difficulties are exemplified in their record. The boys beat Clarkston and McNair, but lost close matches to the stiffer competition such as Marist, Blessed Trinity, and Lakeside. A similar pattern appears in the girls’ results with wins against McNair and Towers but losses to Riverwood, Marist, and Blessed Trinity. A boys’ win over Riverwood (lost twice to Riverwood last year) and a girls’ tie to Lakeside illustrated the team’s ability to compete with
the stronger teams.
“It’s been a bit disappointing,” said boys’ number one Nazar Bilukha. “We had some close matches against good teams, but we couldn’t finish.”
Individually, bright spots have appeared. Boys’ number two Alex Calugar played great despite injury problems. For the girls, freshman doubles player Taylor Jordin provides enthusiasm and a competitive edge through their energetic play.
“As a team, I think we are actually better this year,” said girls’ doubles player Tyler Harrison. “Our captains are improved and we have some talented freshmen.”
A concentrated effort will be made to try to improve strategy and polish technique.
“I would really like to focus on getting to the net, not just hitting big forehands,” said Rowles. “We also need to focus on exploiting our opponents’ weaknesses.”