Warsaw Netters Serve Up Sectional Title
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Craig Brosman-
Next week the Tigers will continue team play at the regional at Culver against the winner of the Peru Sectional. Peru and Wabash play today at 10 a.m. for the title.
The Tigers recorded wins at No. 2 singles, No. 3 singles, No. 1 doubles and No. 2 doubles. The only loss of the night was in an epic two-and-a-half hour, three-set match between Tigers No. 1 singles Kyle Wettschurack and Eagles No. 1 singles Derek Hinen.
At No. 2 singles, Tiger Evan Miller defeated Eagles Niko Rongos in straight sets, 6-2, 6-0. At No. 3 singles Tiger Alek Jansen defeated Drew Benedict in straight sets, 6-0, 6-2. At No. 1 doubles Tigers AJ Herendeen and Sam Rice defeated Eagles Blake Fearnow and Austin Paul in straight sets, 6-1, 6-3. At No. 2 doubles Tigers Will Petro and Connor Stingrey defeated Eagles Mason Coverstone an Daniel Woll in straight sets, 6-1, 6-3.
At court number one Wettschurack took Hinen to three sets losing 6-3, 5-7 and 1-6. Last year Hinen defeated Wettschurack in sectional play and the Eagles ultimately defeated the Tigers to deny them a sectional championship. Earlier in the regular season Wettschurack met Hinen and defeated him in straight sets at Warsaw.
Wettschurack won the first set 6-3 after falling behind early in the set. Wettschurack went up 4-3 then lost game eight and picked up the final two games to go up one set on Hinen.
Set two was when the drama began between Wettschurack and Hinen. Wettschurack went up 4-0 in the set looking to put the match away, but Hinen came roaring back. Hinen then picked up the next five games to go up 5-4 on Wettschurack.
After losing the first four games of set two Hinen looked visibly frustrated. Between games four and five Hinen spoke with his coach Marcus Moore and the advice seemed to help turn his game around.
In game nine Wettschurack went up 40-30 and won the game on the ensuing game point to tie the set at five a piece. After that it was all Hinen who stayed calm and closed the set out winning games 11 and 12.
After a short 10 minute break between sets two and three, Wettschurack came out with a bang in the third set. Wettschurack went up 30-love, but Hinen came back to tie it at 30-30. Wettschurack then went up 40-30 and Hinen soon followed to tie it at 40. After
Hinen tied it at 40 the game would go back and forth and Wettschurack would tie the game four more times at deuce. Wettschurack had a chance to put the game away after the second deuce when he had the advantage, but Hinen would take it away and then go up in the game, before Wettschurack pulled back and tied it at deuce for the third time. He took the advantage for the last time in the game, before Hinen came back to tie it and eventually put game one away to go up 1-0 in set three.
Hinen went up 4-0 in the set before Wettschurack won a game. In games two and four Wettschurack knotted it up before eventually losing each game. Hinen took the third set 6-1 before a crowded bleacher section at Warsaw.
Columbia City Boys Tennis Coach Marcus Moore said that Hinen was a mentally tough player, who can make adjustments on his own.
“When he gets going I don’t need to coach him much,” Moore said. “He is really good at making adjustments on his own.
“He was down early in the second set, but getting a couple games in a row really helped,” Moore said. “He really played not to lose. He played loose. In the third set the momentum was really in his favor and momentum is huge in an individual sport like tennis.“
Moore concluded, “These two could play 10 matches and split.”
After the match Hinen looked back on the experience.
“Kyle was playing so consistent it was hard to get points,” Hinen said. “I had to play one point at a time. When I had momentum I had to stay with it, because I knew he wouldn’t stop.”
In the third set Hinen said the momemtum he built up from set two into set three carried him through the end of the match. At one point between sets two and three Hinen had won nine of 11 games.
Looking ahead to individual play for Hinen, he said that the keys to success for him against Tippecanoe Valley’s Nick Kindig is to, “prepare for his big serve, meet his consistent play and play within myself.”
When Wettschurack looked back on his individual sectional experience he admitted that he let one go.
“I thought I had it won,” Wettschurack said. “I let up and he won. He hit passing shots and I missed my volley shots. I lost my confidence,” Wettschurack said.
When everyone else had finished Wettschurack and Hinen were still playing their match.
“I knew we had (sectionals) won,” Wettschurack said. “I needed to stay relaxed and do what I needed to do. I forgot it didn’t matter.”
Although Wettschurack lost to Hinen, Warsaw Boys Tennis Coach Rick Orban had nothing but good things to say about his team’s sectional win.
“We’ve been playing so well. We won four of five at the conference tournament,” Orban said. “The kids have confidence and when the kids have confidence it’s hard to beat us.”
After the match Orban took time to talk about the team’s success.
“Evan (Miller) kept his kid moving, side to side and back to back,” Orban said. “When you do that it’s hard to beat him.
“Alek (Jansen) is playing his best tennis of the year in the last three or four weeks,” Orban said. “He’s playing with confidence, it is a great thing. He played smart tennis and stayed within himself.”
At doubles Orban said he experimented with No. 1 doubles in order to get ready for next weeks challenges.
“They handled it extremely well and adapted well,” Orban said. “They played smart tennis, power tennis. That is what it takes to win at tennis.”
At No. 2 doubles Orban had nothing but praise for his kids.
“They are basically undefeated other than losing one match at the invitational,” Orban said. “I go out once a match and tell them to be more aggressive and then I don’t have to worry about it.”
As a whole Orban was extremely happy with his teams performance Friday afternoon.
“I am thrilled with the sectional win,” Orban said. “We didn’t like our streak being broken. Last year Columbia City knocked us out and it was kind of sweet to come back and beat them.”
Looking forward to regional play Orban thinks his team has a chance to win if they play up to their potential.
“We need to take it one match at a time, that’s what it takes to win regional’s,” Orban said. “If we play up to our potential, we are tough to beat. We are deep from number one singles to number two doubles.”[[In-content Ad]]
Latest News
E-Editions
Next week the Tigers will continue team play at the regional at Culver against the winner of the Peru Sectional. Peru and Wabash play today at 10 a.m. for the title.
The Tigers recorded wins at No. 2 singles, No. 3 singles, No. 1 doubles and No. 2 doubles. The only loss of the night was in an epic two-and-a-half hour, three-set match between Tigers No. 1 singles Kyle Wettschurack and Eagles No. 1 singles Derek Hinen.
At No. 2 singles, Tiger Evan Miller defeated Eagles Niko Rongos in straight sets, 6-2, 6-0. At No. 3 singles Tiger Alek Jansen defeated Drew Benedict in straight sets, 6-0, 6-2. At No. 1 doubles Tigers AJ Herendeen and Sam Rice defeated Eagles Blake Fearnow and Austin Paul in straight sets, 6-1, 6-3. At No. 2 doubles Tigers Will Petro and Connor Stingrey defeated Eagles Mason Coverstone an Daniel Woll in straight sets, 6-1, 6-3.
At court number one Wettschurack took Hinen to three sets losing 6-3, 5-7 and 1-6. Last year Hinen defeated Wettschurack in sectional play and the Eagles ultimately defeated the Tigers to deny them a sectional championship. Earlier in the regular season Wettschurack met Hinen and defeated him in straight sets at Warsaw.
Wettschurack won the first set 6-3 after falling behind early in the set. Wettschurack went up 4-3 then lost game eight and picked up the final two games to go up one set on Hinen.
Set two was when the drama began between Wettschurack and Hinen. Wettschurack went up 4-0 in the set looking to put the match away, but Hinen came roaring back. Hinen then picked up the next five games to go up 5-4 on Wettschurack.
After losing the first four games of set two Hinen looked visibly frustrated. Between games four and five Hinen spoke with his coach Marcus Moore and the advice seemed to help turn his game around.
In game nine Wettschurack went up 40-30 and won the game on the ensuing game point to tie the set at five a piece. After that it was all Hinen who stayed calm and closed the set out winning games 11 and 12.
After a short 10 minute break between sets two and three, Wettschurack came out with a bang in the third set. Wettschurack went up 30-love, but Hinen came back to tie it at 30-30. Wettschurack then went up 40-30 and Hinen soon followed to tie it at 40. After
Hinen tied it at 40 the game would go back and forth and Wettschurack would tie the game four more times at deuce. Wettschurack had a chance to put the game away after the second deuce when he had the advantage, but Hinen would take it away and then go up in the game, before Wettschurack pulled back and tied it at deuce for the third time. He took the advantage for the last time in the game, before Hinen came back to tie it and eventually put game one away to go up 1-0 in set three.
Hinen went up 4-0 in the set before Wettschurack won a game. In games two and four Wettschurack knotted it up before eventually losing each game. Hinen took the third set 6-1 before a crowded bleacher section at Warsaw.
Columbia City Boys Tennis Coach Marcus Moore said that Hinen was a mentally tough player, who can make adjustments on his own.
“When he gets going I don’t need to coach him much,” Moore said. “He is really good at making adjustments on his own.
“He was down early in the second set, but getting a couple games in a row really helped,” Moore said. “He really played not to lose. He played loose. In the third set the momentum was really in his favor and momentum is huge in an individual sport like tennis.“
Moore concluded, “These two could play 10 matches and split.”
After the match Hinen looked back on the experience.
“Kyle was playing so consistent it was hard to get points,” Hinen said. “I had to play one point at a time. When I had momentum I had to stay with it, because I knew he wouldn’t stop.”
In the third set Hinen said the momemtum he built up from set two into set three carried him through the end of the match. At one point between sets two and three Hinen had won nine of 11 games.
Looking ahead to individual play for Hinen, he said that the keys to success for him against Tippecanoe Valley’s Nick Kindig is to, “prepare for his big serve, meet his consistent play and play within myself.”
When Wettschurack looked back on his individual sectional experience he admitted that he let one go.
“I thought I had it won,” Wettschurack said. “I let up and he won. He hit passing shots and I missed my volley shots. I lost my confidence,” Wettschurack said.
When everyone else had finished Wettschurack and Hinen were still playing their match.
“I knew we had (sectionals) won,” Wettschurack said. “I needed to stay relaxed and do what I needed to do. I forgot it didn’t matter.”
Although Wettschurack lost to Hinen, Warsaw Boys Tennis Coach Rick Orban had nothing but good things to say about his team’s sectional win.
“We’ve been playing so well. We won four of five at the conference tournament,” Orban said. “The kids have confidence and when the kids have confidence it’s hard to beat us.”
After the match Orban took time to talk about the team’s success.
“Evan (Miller) kept his kid moving, side to side and back to back,” Orban said. “When you do that it’s hard to beat him.
“Alek (Jansen) is playing his best tennis of the year in the last three or four weeks,” Orban said. “He’s playing with confidence, it is a great thing. He played smart tennis and stayed within himself.”
At doubles Orban said he experimented with No. 1 doubles in order to get ready for next weeks challenges.
“They handled it extremely well and adapted well,” Orban said. “They played smart tennis, power tennis. That is what it takes to win at tennis.”
At No. 2 doubles Orban had nothing but praise for his kids.
“They are basically undefeated other than losing one match at the invitational,” Orban said. “I go out once a match and tell them to be more aggressive and then I don’t have to worry about it.”
As a whole Orban was extremely happy with his teams performance Friday afternoon.
“I am thrilled with the sectional win,” Orban said. “We didn’t like our streak being broken. Last year Columbia City knocked us out and it was kind of sweet to come back and beat them.”
Looking forward to regional play Orban thinks his team has a chance to win if they play up to their potential.
“We need to take it one match at a time, that’s what it takes to win regional’s,” Orban said. “If we play up to our potential, we are tough to beat. We are deep from number one singles to number two doubles.”[[In-content Ad]]
Have a news tip? Email [email protected] or Call/Text 360-922-3092