Varsity Boys Tennis won 4-3 against Cupertino High School on Wednesday, March 18, in its first game of the season. Due to water damage on one of the courts, only six of the courts were in use, and the final match was forced to start later than usual. At around 6:00 p.m., the conditions were too dark to continue. As a result, the overall score ended in a temporary 3-3 draw on March 3, with the deciding doubles match postponed to Wednesday.
Despite a close start, senior and singles player Daniel Zheng won his match 6-4, 6-1. By slowing his shots and matching his opponent’s pace, Zheng put pressure on him until he missed more shots. After saving a break point at 3-4 on his serve, he was able to flip the momentum for the rest of the match.
“The beginning was a little nerve-wracking because I haven’t played in a long time,” Zheng said. “I was a little uneasy, because he was playing better than I thought. But once I got the rust off, calmed down and got the emotions down, it was smooth sailing from there.”
Sophomore and singles player Jonathan Hom secured a 6-3, 6-1 victory by focusing on maintaining a steady pace throughout the match. Although he hadn’t played his opponent before, he prioritized playing consistently to avoid giving his opponent “free points.”
“This match is a good measurement of where we are to start the season,” Hom said. “I just tried to make myself more consistent, as opposed to going for more. Once I realized that in the end, we’re here to have fun and play as a team, I started being more loose and feeling really good.”
Zheng adds that the team has made many technical improvements compared to last year, focusing on aspects of their net game like volleys and decision-making. Additionally, they have worked on their mentality and teamwork.
“I can see that we’re supporting each other a lot more, so we play with a lot more energy,” Zheng said. “Our coach gave us a lot of advice, and we also practiced more team spirit, so overall, I’m really excited for the rest of the season.”
