Tigers take 1st round
Darlington’s boys get a 4-1 win over Hebron Christian to start the state playoffs.
Darlington’s boys get a 4-1 win over Hebron Christian to start the state playoffs.
After losing a heartbreaking match in the area championship last week, Darlington’s boys’ tennis team was determined to turn the page on Monday.
And with a 4-1 win over Hebron Christian to start the state playoffs, the Tigers hope they’ve done just that.
Darlington won convincingly at No. 1 and No. 2 singles before taking both doubles matches in the opening round of the Class A Private state tournament on its home courts, clearing the way for the Tigers to move on to the division’s Elite Eight.
“We always talk about bringing their ‘A’ attitude and their ‘A’ effort, and they have done that. They’ve really earned their way to where we are right now,” Darlington coach Jonathan Wagshul said. “We’re into this new season with the state tournament and very excited about it. We’re looking for great things ahead.”
The deciding match in the best-of-five meeting was won by the No. 2 doubles team of David Hagler and Dawson Williams. After getting into trouble early on, the two were able to settle in and take a 6-3, 6-2 win to give Darlington a 3-0 lead and the win.
“They were constructing their points very nicely, but they were making some unforced errors,” Wagshul said.
“We talked about being a little more focused when it came to closing out your rallies. They started doing that and, at that point, the match really turned in their favor.”
Oleg Aprelikov won his No. 2 singles match 6-0, 6-3 to give Darlington the first victory of the day. Darlington No. 1 singles player Andrey Aprelikov completed his match soon after, winning 6-2, 6-0.
Wagshul said the two are strong ball strikers, but it takes more than that when paired up against other teams’ top two players who excel in the same area.
“They’re very intelligent tennis players,” Wagshul said. “They put together their points very well and assess what they need to do in a particular match in order to be effective. They really are complete players.”
Darlington’s final win came in the last match to be completed as the No. 1 doubles team of Sam Tackeberry and Joseph Ingram dropped their first set 6-7 before taking the next two sets 6-2, 6-2.
The Tigers will be on the road for
the next round of the playoffs. They will face Atlanta International School in Sandy Springs some time before Saturday. An exact date and time had yet to be determined as of Monday night.