The Middlesex Girls' Varsity tennis team lost a close match 6 - 9 against Rivers Friday. The match was moved from Saturday to Friday evening, so both teams had to contend with the chilly temperatures as the sun went down.
With two of the varsity ladder's players out of commission due to injury and illness, the remaining girls stepped up, played well, and put up a good fight. At #1 singles, freshman Leyla Hotamisligil kept at it the whole way through the match. She lost the first set 2 - 6 but continued to push her opponent with well constructed points. Unfortunately, too many unforced errors lost her the second set as well 4 - 6. Sophomore Caroline Reynolds played a competitive match at #2 singles, splitting sets with her opponent 4 - 6, 7 - 5. Senior Anna Seigel was well-matched with her opponent at #5 singles in terms of style of play. The scores do not necessarily show how each point was a drawn-out battle of wills. Though she lost the first set 5 - 7, she came back in the second set to win 6 - 2. Scoring 2 points for Middlesex in singles, senior Electra Washburn's match was a highlight of the overall match. After winning the first nail-biting set 7 - 5, she used the momentum to dominate in the second set 6 - 0, only giving up a 5 points in all of the set.
With good communication and a positive mental attitude, the Zebras had strong results in the doubles match ups. At #1 doubles, Leyla and Caroline battled out each point, in a close set of 8 - 9. It proved to be the other team's day as they secured the set in the tiebreaker.
Senior captain Katie Bull and sophomore Laura Kaye have similar on-court temperaments, in some ways making them stronger as a doubles team than as individual players. Despite both losing in singles, they dusted themselves off to come back and take the doubles set decisively 8 - 3. At #3 doubles, sophomore Emma Pratt and Electra fought hard with good teamwork to move in toward the net and keep the pressure on their opponent. They won their set 8 - 6.
Many of our girls will enjoy this weekend's prom activities and come back next week for two focused practices before facing Andover on Wednesday.
