Mayo, Lourdes both fall -- barely -- in state tennis semifinals

MINNEAPOLIS — For Mayo, that was excruciating.

The Spartans were that close to getting back to the state tennis championship dual for the third straight year. But a pair of three-set losses against favored Edina in the state semifinals doomed Mayo at the University of Minnesota’s Baseline Tennis Center on Wednesday.

Edina came in as the No. 2 seed, Mayo No. 3. The Spartans will now play No. 4 Mounds View for third place at 2 p.m.

Mayo’s Max Rivera lost 6-0, 4-6, 6-1 at No. 3 singles and John Trygstad and Michael Teng lost 5-7, 7-5, 6-2 at No. 2 doubles. Mayo also picked up a pair of three-set wins, at No. 1 singles (Caleb Kennel) and No. 1 doubles (Noah Wisniewski and David Teng).

The loss was just Mayo’s second of the season, the other to No. 1-ranked and prohibitive state tournament favorite Wayzata. Mayo moves to 21-2.

“It was a war and we knew it would be a battle going in against Edina,” Mayo coach Jeff Demaray said. “I’m really proud of our kids and how they competed. They left it all on the court. We were just an inch away but couldn’t close the match.”

Mayo’s best opportunity to win one of three setters it lost was at No. 2 doubles. There, it was serving for the match at one point in the second set and couldn’t quite finish Edina off.

Edina wound up winning two of the three doubles matches.

“We knew going into the day that we had shots at all of the doubles,” Demaray said. “But you have to give Edina credit. Both teams really competed well.”

SEMIFINALS
Edina 4, Mayo 3
Singles: Caleb Kennel (M) def. Santiago Sanchez 6-2, 2-6, 6-3; Thomas Loucks (E) def. Al McKie 6-0, 6-2; Josh Latour (E) def. Max Rivera 6-0, 4-6, 6-1; Daniel McKie (M) def. Brennan Grove 6-2, 6-1. Doubles: Noah Wisniewski/David Teng (M) def. Andy Norman/Pavlo Kolesnykov 4-6, 6-4, 6-3; Hashim Chaudhri/Richard Hou (E) def. John Trygstad/Michael Teng 4-7, 7-5, 6-2; Jonathan Fan/Aariz Hassan (E) def. Nico Onigkeit/Noah Elder 7-6 (7-5), 6-3.

MINNEAPOLIS — The seeds played out to be true.

Rock Ridge (Virginia) drew the No. 2 seed for the Class 1A state tennis tournament, Lourdes No. 3.

Rock Ridge was thus considered better — barely — than the Eagles, and that is exactly how things played out as the teams met in the state semifinals Wednesday morning at Reed Sweatt Tennis Center.

Rock Ridge emerged a 4-3 winner, sending Lourdes to the third-place dual at 2 p.m. today where it will face No. 5 seed Breck.

Rock Ridge did its damage in doubles against Lourdes, sweeping its way there with three wins. It also prevailed at No. 4 singles.

“We knew it was going to be close and we knew that all of the doubles matches were going to be challenges, but with the possibility that we could win them,” said Lourdes coach Steve Tacl, whose team moved to 16-6 overall. “We needed to step up and find a way to get that first set and immerse ourselves in any of those matches. But it just didn’t happen. We were never able to grab momentum in any of those matches.”

Tacl believes his team is still learning how to compete as much as anything. He also knows how far his players could advance if they put in big chunks of time this next off-season.

“Our guys are learning a lot of things about how to compete on the fly,” Tacl said. “And they are learning in an environment (the state tournament) that can make people nervous. I am happy and proud that we are playing on the last day of the state tournament. But hopefully this motivates guys to double or triple their work (heading into next season). Then we can flip some of these doubles scores.”

SEMIFINALS
Rock Ridge 4, Lourdes 3
Singles: Evan Ritter (L) def. Payton Marks 6-1, 6-0; Joe Palen (L) def. Wyatt Fredrick 6-1, 6-2; Andy Fink (L) def. Gage Benz 6-1, 1-6, 6-2; Colton Bilake (RR) def. Anton Ackley 6-4, 6-0. Doubles: Aidan Sandnas/Grady Dimberio (RR) def. Noah Doherty/Easton Ackley 6-3, 6-4; Will Peterson/Aidan Rabideaux (RR) def. Max Orth/Bobby Fitzgerald 6-2, 6-1; Grant Benz/Levi Flatley (RR) def. Breckin Ryan/Ben Matthews 6-4, 6-3.

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