In what could be its biggest victory in many years, the Evanston Wildkits pulled out a huge win over one of the area’s elite teams.
Bringing players that finished second and third in the state championship in doubles the past two years, Highland Park got off to a quick start in all four doubles match-ups.
Oliver Wood and Jonah Hurtig played nicely together and got a few games off the state’s top players but fell 6-0, 6-3 at #1 doubles.
McClain Vincent and Alex Velasco really played smoothly at #2 doubles and looked to pull off the 2nd set against a very solid H.P. team but couldn’t hold on in a 6-2, 6-4 loss.
In his first match back this season Ben Bleier looked great serving and hitting groundies with one of our best doubles players Ethan Schnoll, but being the first time the two played together the experienced H.P. players were able to edge them out in a exciting 7-6, 6-3 match at #3 doubles.
One of the most nerve-racking but entertaining matches of the day, Illan Ireland and Ben Garfin gave it everything they had and were able to pull out a huge win at #4 doubles dropping H.P. 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.
Evanston’s singles players also had one of their best days in recent memory with Connor Woolf playing his most consistent top-notch tennis this year in an easy 6-2, 6-0 win at #3 singles.
His concentration and ‘killer instinct’ attitude never let up from start to finish and won many praises from the coaching staff. Great job Connor. Sam Wiener continued his stellar play this year with one big ground stroke after another and easily dismantled his H.P. opponent 6-2, 6-0.
The match came down to #1 singles, the last match on the court this evening. As the sun was setting, H.P.’s young star was going blow to blow with Evanston’s Adam Collins in a crazy 3 setter. After losing the first set 6-2, the pint-sized but big-hitting Highland Park player was able to fight back and take the second in a long tie-breaker 7-6.
Adam looked to be losing his grip on the match and lost the first 3 games of the third set. Miraculously, our Kits superstar regrouped and took back the momentum in an astonishing 6 game streak to win the final set 6-3 and capture the win for the team.