What better way to prepare for the playoffs than by internet hosting the No. 1 crew in the country?
Lambert’s boys tennis crew welcomed prime-ranked McCallie Faculty [Tenn.] to Suwanee Thursday in advance of following week’s GHSA Course 7A playoffs. And whilst the Longhorns fell 5-, head mentor Eric Hampton thinks the greater amount of level of competition will prepare the Longhorns for the postseason.
“It can only assist my guys. Which is what I just told them above there,” Hampton mentioned. “Preserve your heads up. You just pushed these men and they are not employed to playing — like these two matches correct here — they’re not applied to that. Aidan [Atwood] and Braxton [Wright] played very, incredibly effectively and pushed these guys to the limit, and it is only going to profit us in the playoffs.”
Wright was indefatigable at No. 2 singles, forcing a decisive 3rd set towards McCallie’s Will Leathers. Just after dropping the 1st established in a tiebreaker, Wright raced out to a 4-1 direct and experienced the second set in his hands ahead of Leathers rallied to gain the up coming five video games and take a 5-4 guide.
But Wright managed to use down Leathers, using his responsible return video game and a penchant for drawing his opponent out of posture to power the third established.
The two gamers traded factors early, and Wright received an spectacular position to pull in advance right after Leathers examined his backhand time and time yet again. But Wright mechanically returned each shot, prompting Leathers to attempt Wright’s forehand, which he returned all over again. Leathers went again to Wright’s backhand in response, and Wright tucked a excellent shot previous Leathers and inside the sideline for the issue.
Leathers in the end won the third-set tiebreaker 13-11, but Lambert had specified McCallie its toughest match of the afternoon.
“Honestly, I feel he’s a very little far too tough on himself. I was just conversing to him about that,” Hampton claimed. “Hopefully he takes the knowledge of remaining in that condition and remembers it in the long term.”
Lambert sophomore Aidan Atwood managed to dangle with Andreas Sillaste at No. 1 singles irrespective of falling 6-2, 6-4.
Atwood played No. 2 singles past year as a freshman throughout the Longhorns’ march to the Class 7A championship match.
“Aidan strike a advancement spurt and grew a a few, 4 inches,” Hampton claimed. “Coach [Marc] Seashore, the head soccer coach, and Mentor [Curtis] Mattair, the weight training mentor, both of those came out right here to view Aidan because they appreciate him in the pounds space. They say he works more challenging in the excess weight room than any child in the college. If he retains executing that, he’s got a shiny future.”
Thursday’s match came to fruition just after McCallie mentor Jeff Clark contacted Hampton and requested if Lambert would be prepared to perform his team. The two teams shared mutual opponents — Lambert beat Baylor [Tenn.] 3-2 previous month — so Clark knew the Longhorns would offer a obstacle.
Lambert wrapped up its 2nd straight Location 6-7A championship two months back with a 3- acquire in opposition to West Forsyth in the title match.
Lambert will host Mountain See in the initially spherical of the Course 7A playoffs, and if the Longhorns earn, they will face the East Coweta/Parkview winner in the 2nd spherical ahead of a opportunity showdown with Walton in the Elite 8.
Hampton stated he feels excellent about Atwood and Wright at the best two singles positions, while Bahuliya Manyapu has mostly recovered from an offseason personal injury and will be a rough out at No. 3 singles.
“He is labored and worked and labored and gotten improved. He’s again in taking part in condition now,” Hampton said. “Truly require him to appear as a result of and I genuinely need my just one doubles [Aneesh Seemakurthy/Rithvik Suram] to engage in a minimal far more aggressively, to take command of the court docket and be a small extra assertive out there. Two doubles, they are higher power. Alex Dua and Matthew Lim, they’re both equally superior strength. Matthew was ill nowadays, which failed to enable us. We must be solid.”