Aragon boys tennis (15-1, 14-0) took down Burlingame (5-9, 5-9) in a clean sweep on April 9, winning 7-0. The match prepared the Dons to continue their dominance in a 6-1 win on April 11 against reigning bay league champion San Mateo to clinch the first Peninsula Athletic League Bay division title in school history.
Racking up their 94th win of 98 league matches played, the starting ten players showcased their persistence, winning two of the three super tie-breaks played, while the rest came through in straight sets. Having qualified for Central Coast Section 15 times in the past as the PAL runner-up, this will be Aragon’s first time entering with an automatic bid as the league champion.
Subbing in for singles four from third doubles, junior Ziv Rapoport was the first to finish with the score of 6-0, 6-0.
“I just kept thinking to win the next point,” Rapoport said. “Just always getting to that next step.”
Third doubles Elan Smyla and junior Justin Wong followed soon after with a 6-1, 6-1 win. At singles three, despite breaking his strings early in the first set, senior Cooper Wong out-rallied his opponent to win 6-2, 6-2.
Sophomore Veraaz Khan rose to the challenge as singles one after junior Akbar Beg, Aragon’s starting first player, suffered a knee injury. Competing in second singles usually, Khan’s matchup against Burlingame player Nick Moshkovoy was a more elevated level of play then he was used too, and required a shift in strategy.
“I didn’t really try to attack right away,” Khan said. “I’d first build up the point and then when I felt that it was good, then I’d start to attack. I also tried not to aim too close to the lines, so I had a margin if I miss.”
Starting off the first set strong, Khan claimed the first game with a commanding 1-0 lead. He continued to dominate, setting the tone for the match as he went on to win the first three games straight bringing the score to 3-0.
However, his opponent quickly answered back, going on to win the next three to tie the set at 3-3. Neck and neck, Khan retook control as he won the next game, bridging the score to 4-3. With momentum on his side, Khan went on to win the next two games, finishing off the set with a victory of 6-3. Khan went on to wrap up the second set 6-1.
“That’s the hard part, when you win a set you gotta be just as strong, put that pedal to the metal,” said head coach Dave Owdom. “You want to jump on them right away. Evidently, Veraaz has been around, so that’s what he did.”
The rest of the starting lineup experienced a similar game momentum shift as Khan. At singles two, sophomore Darrin O’Brien took a few games to find his consistency. With focus, however, he began executing combinations such as backhand cross-courts and forehand inside-ins, ultimately winning 6-4, 7-6 (4).
“I was able to keep myself in long rallies, we usually have trouble with that,” O’Brien said. “Then I was able to make opportunities for myself, like coming up to the net and finishing the point quickly.”
Burlingame surprised the Dons with higher than expected consistency in doubles. However, with extensive experience, junior doubles number one pair Keiya Wada and Thomas Nie pushed through with a score of 7-6, 6-4. Doubles number two duo Max Gan and Jack He won 6-3, 7-5 to seal off the team’s 7-0 win.
“Our doubles, Keiya and Thomas, Max and Jack, they have been playing together for a couple of years now so they know each other well,” Owdom said. “They get a little casual for me but they have fun.”
The Dons will skip the qualifying tournament and play in the first round of the CCS team tournament on May 1 at 4 p.m.
