The Girls' Varsity Tennis team lost their opening season match to St. Mark's with a final score of 7 - 8. The four-hour nailbiter was as much of a test of their endurance, stamina, and grit as it was of their tennis skills and athletic prowess. Cold temperatures and wind pushed the match indoors, and so the match began with doubles. Senior team Abby Meyers (c) and Emma Pratt secured the first point for Middlesex at #3, finishing their set 8 - 2. In singles, #6 Emma Pratt ('16) continued to dominate, showing off her consistency and smart strategy to defeat her opponent in both sets (6 - 2, 6 - 2) with a mature balance of patience and aggressiveness. At #5, the unflappable Caroline Reynolds's ('17) powerful first serve and well-placed groundstrokes from the baseline kept her opponent on the move. She played a confident, consistent and strategic match, taking both sets (6 - 2, 6 - 2). Sophomore Leyla Hotamisligil ('18) started off strong, overpowering her opponent in the first set (6 - 1) with tactical placement and savvy variety in touch.  Though she kept the good momentum at the start of the second set, her opponent's game began to pick up, and Leyla struggled to keep her focus, losing the second set (4 - 6). A highlight of the match was rookie Helen Lasry ('18) who struggled to keep her lead in the first set of her #4 singles match against her senior opponent and lost the set (5 - 7). Not to be deterred, she dug deep and demonstrated a tenacity characteristic of a more seasoned athlete that impressed her team, coaches, and spectators. In the second set, her mental toughness was put to the test, as she overpowered her opponent with a powerful first serve and well constructed points to take the second set (6 - 4). The team looks forward to getting some rest this weekend and putting in two focused, hard practices before travelling to St. Paul's School on Wednesday to battle the Pelicans.