THREE THINGS TO WATCH
Back for more: Three-time defending Division 1 champion Marquette is wellstocked once again. The team has back two of the area’s top singles players and the potentially dangerous new doubles team of Noah Guillermo and Rob May. In all, the Hilltoppers have back eight players from a team that lost just two matches at team state.
GMC power: The Greater Metro has been home to many of the area’s top players and when it comes to the WIAA tournament its credentials are unquestioned. A singles player and/or a doubles team from the league has been a state champion in the league every year for more than a decade. This year the conference will try to accomplish that feat while filling the void left by state champions
Robert Krill of Brookfield East and John Massart and Ethan Budiono of Marquette.
Second time around: The 2017 season as a promising one for a handful of freshman. Brookfield Academy’s Pablo Dale, Marquette’s Joel Pan and New Berlin West’s Jon Sadowski enjoyed strong first seasons at the high school level. Each placed at state, setting the stage for what could be three more special seasons.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Jaden Aranda, Nicolet: The defending North Shore champion made it to the state quarterfinals in Division 1 in his first state tournament appearance last season as a sophomore. He finished sixth overall.
Patrick Conta, Whitefish Bay: The
senior was the North Shore runner-up last season and then made his third state tournament appearance.
Pablo Dale, Brookfield Academy: The Knights sophomore took third in Division 2 last year. His only losses came to state finalists Krill in Division 1 and Casey Johnson of Kohler and Juan Perez of Prairie School in Division 2.
Alex Moore, Sussex Hamilton: The Chargers junior is back to build on last season’s state tournament appearance, which lasted until the Round of 16 in Division 1.
Joel Pan, Marquette: The Hilltoppers sophomore won three matches at state last season before running into Krill, the eventual champion, in the quarterfinals.
Brendan Pietila, Arrowhead: The Warhawks senior is the defending Classic 8 champion and a two-time state qualifier.
Jon Sadowski, New Berlin West: Sadowski, the Woodland Conference champion, went on to take third in the sectional and sixth place at state in Division 2.
Eli Winter, Nicolet: With Jack Steinberger lost to graduation, the Knight senior will try to continue his success in doubles with a new partner this season. He was part of a state runner-up combo last season in Division 1.
George Wong, Dominican: The Knights senior is a three-time state qualifier who made it playing doubles as a freshman.
Nick Yang, Marquette: The team’s No. 2 player last season, Yang, a senior, reached the Round of 16 in Division 1 before falling to eventual fifth-place finisher Alex Alt of Kimberly in three sets.