Dunwoody’s Bobby Kitchin chases down a shot during his 3-hour and 45-minute marathon match he won 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (7-3) to send the Wildcats to the Class 6A state semifinals. (Photo by Mark Brock)
The Class 6A state quarterfinal match between the hosts Dunwoody Wildcats and Blessed Trinity Titans came down to the three hour and forty-five-minute marathon at No. 2 singles won in a third set tiebreak by Dunwoody’s Bobby Kitchin at Dunwoody on Monday.
Dunwoody’s Luca Ramondino had knotted the match at 2-2 with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Blessed Trinity’s Conner Mowrey while Kitchin and Blessed Trinity’s Matthew Thomas’ split sets and were battling in the crucial third set on the next court.
Kitchin opened with a 6-2 win in the first set only to have Thomas take the second by a 6-4 margin to force the third and deciding set of their match and the teams’ match.
Thomas rolled out to a 4-1 advantage when Kitchin won his serve and followed by breaking Thomas to pull within 3-4. Thomas managed to break Kitchin’s serve to go up 5-3 but again Kitchin bounced back with a break and then won his own service game to tie the set at 5-5.
The next game went to Thomas as he went up 6-5. Kitchin had to battle back in the next game to win his serve and send the match into a tiebreaker at 6-6.
Kitchin got the mini break on Thomas and was up 2-1 in the tiebreaker. Thomas split his serves to make it 3-2 in favor of Kitchin. The Wildcat was battling cramps but won his next two serves and one of Thomas’ to pull within one point of clinching the match, up 6-2.
Thomas got one more point to close within 3-6 before Kitchin closed it out on his next serve with the 7-3 win to clinch a semifinal berth for the Wildcats (13-8).
Blessed Trinity had taken a 2-0 lead with a win at No. 1 singles y Brendan Brown 6-4, 6-0 over Dunwoody’s Weston Zlotnick and three-set win at No. 1 doubles by Aidan Lakatoo and Grayson Perlman by a score of 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 over Dunwoody’s Avery Watts and David Strasberg.
Dunwoody’s first point of the match came at No. 2 doubles by Ethan Hamilton and Zach Brett over Josh Gaus and Jackson Geis. The Dunwoody duo won 6-4, 6-4 as Hamilton’s winner down the left side ended the match.
Dunwoody goes on the road to face defending champion Johns Creek in the semifinals with a date and time to be announced soon.
Dunwoody’s Lisa McCown volleys in her No. 2 doubles match with teammate Sophia Hatch. The pair lost a tough three-set match. (Photo by Mark Brock)
(G) Pope 3, Dunwoody 1
The Dunwoody Lady Wildcats hosted the Pope Lady Greyhounds following the boys’ thriller and fell in another close match by a 3-1 margin.
Pope won both the No. 1 and No. 2 singles to jump out 2-0 on Dunwoody (11-9). Lauryn Swatski defeated Mei Stallard 6-0, 6-1 at No. 1 singles and Sam Slaton took a 6-1, 6-1 win over Natlie Newman at No. 2.
Dunwoody’s Hannah Price and Celia Carter closed the Lady Wildcats within 2-1 with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Pope’s Bridgette Butler and Laney Kruger. The Dunwoody pair fell behind 0-3 in the opening set before reeling off six consecutive wins to take the opening set. They finished the match winning 12 of the last 14 games to get the point.
The final two matches were No.2 doubles and No. 3 singles that both went into the third set.
Dunwoody’s Sophia Hatch and Lisa McCown opened the No. 2 doubles with a 6-3 win and Sophia Mei was up on her Pope opponent 1-0 after first set 6-3 win.
Pope bounced back in both matches to even them at one set apiece as the match continued onward.
Shriya Sriaivas and Shivani Nair had won the second doubles set 6-4 by holding off Hatch and McCown as they rallied from 5-2 deficit. The Blessed Trinity team then ran away in the third set to a 6-0 win to seal the victory for the Lady Grey Hounds.
Dunwoody’s Sophia Mei was up 2-1 in the third set at No. 3 singles when the match ended.
(B) Johns Creek 3, Lakeside 2
Defending state champion Johns Creek was pushed to the limit by the Lakeside Vikings before pulling out a 3-2 victory in the Class 6A boys’ state quarterfinal match at DeKalb Tennis Center.
John’s Creek swept the doubles points with wins by Parker Rowan and Jaden Wong 6-3, 6-2 over Lakeside’s Wynnton Martin and Sam Fournier at No. 1 doubles and Aaron Chang and Parth Mody 6-3, 6-2 over Tommy Ellett and Chase Rothberger.
The Vikings (14-3) evened out the match with wins at No. 1 singles and No. 2 singles. Julian Santucci won 6-3, 6-3 over Andrew Hertfelder for one of Lakeside’s wins. Luke Santucci took a 6-0, 6-3 win at No. 3 singles over Johns’ Creek’s Kauti Manyam.
A long two-set match at No. 2 singles was the deciding factor as Francis Wu outdueled Lakeside’s Andy Moelich 6-4, 6-3 to seal the win.
Class 5A Boys
Centennial 3, Chamblee 2
The Chamblee Bulldogs wrapped up a fine 13-4 season losing a heartbreaking 3-2 match to Centennial at Chamblee on Monday afternoon.
Chamblee won both doubles points as Gunnar Hagan and William Hackney took the win at No. 1 doubles and Kai Henderson and Kavi Pallan picked up the point at No. 2 doubles.
Jacob Norland (No. 1 singles) and Landon Marcus (No. 2 singles) both lost hard-fought matches as Centennial evened the match at 2-2.
Centennial took the match with a two-set win as Chamblee’s Alex Coursey fell at No. 3 singles.
DCSD STATE TENNIS TOURNAMENT RESULTS
Monday, 4/29
THIRD ROUND
CLASS 6A BOYS
DEKALB TENNIS CENTER
Johns Creek 3, Lakeside (14-3) 2
CLASS 5A BOYS
Centennial 3, Chamblee (13-4) 2
CLASS 6A BOYS
Dunwoody (13-8) 3, Blessed Trinity 2
CLASS 6A GIRLS
Pope 3, Dunwoody (11-9) 1
CLASS 6A BOYS
Dunwoody (13-8) at Johns Creek, TBA