Junior Parth Goyal and freshman Baba Dudekula lost two games in a row, putting the score at 3-2 in a doubles match versus their Oviedo opponent. After regrouping, they won five straight games and finished with a score of 8-2, part of a 6-1 team win for boys varsity tennis.
Apart from line 1 doubles, Goyal also played line 2 singles due to the absence of Captain Sebastian Rubio.
“I think my serve was a big strength [on Tuesday]. I was getting [the ball] in consistently to where the opponents had trouble receiving it,” Goyal said.
The team, now 4-1, beat Oviedo in a seven-match game at Round Lake Park on Feb.25. Goyal won his singles match 8-1 and line 5 Sanchez won his doubles match 8-3 with his partner junior, Jerry Liu.
“I had a good lead and wasn’t too fatigued, so I just had to stay consistent and stay up,” Sanchez said.
The team has triumphed over Oviedo for the past three seasons, so the team felt confident entering the matches.
“I had high expectations coming into the match as we have beaten Oviedo handily every season I’ve been on the team. We played well as a team and were able to continue this streak,” Goyal said.
The tennis team lost five players this season; regardless, they’ve adapted and started their season strong. The team’s record is 4-1, only losing to Seminole on their first recorded match.
“It feels good to have been winning, but we have to maintain our focus as we have a tough schedule ahead with matches against Lake Mary and Seminole, so we have to try our best to keep putting in the work and winning,” Goyal said.
The team is scheduled to face Seminole on March 4 at home. The boys hope to bounce back from their previous loss in which they fell short with a 6-1 loss.
“Everyone on the team is working hard in preparation for Seminole,” Goyal said. “We played them and lost earlier this season, so we know what we’re up against and know what we need to work on in singles and doubles to have a shot at winning this upcoming week.”
