Doubles Duo Gains Finals in NEPSITT Season Finale

From Coach William Ewen:

On Saturday, May, 22, two doubles teams from Hopkins boys' varsity tennis travelled to the Choate School in Wallingford, Ct., to take part in the season ending New England Prep School Invitational Tennis Tournament. The Hopkins teams of Lenny Kolstad & Alex Zackheim and Adam Sauerteig & Phil Bernasek both won their first round matches at the expense of teams from Avon Old Farms and Andover respectively. In the quarter-finals, Kolstad--Zackheim survived a come from behind tiebreaker match against a strong and steady team from Choate, while Sauerteig--Bernasek fell to the second seeded team from Westminster.

In the semi-finals, Kolstad--Zackheim found themselves facing the same Westminster team that had defeated their Hopkins teammates the round before. Kolstad--Zackheim played their best tennis of the day in dispatching the Westminster team from the main draw by a convincing 6--3, 6--3 score.

The finals match pitted Lenny Kolstad and Alex Zackheim against the 3rd seeded team from St. Paul's School--Ken Wong and David Yahng. After falling far behind 5--0 in the first set due to opening jitters, the HOpkins team fought valiantly back, only to lose in the first set (7--6)t by a score of 7--5 in the tiebreaker. The second set saw some opportunities for the Hopkins team as they moved ahead 3--1, but they were unable to capitalize on the few opportunities they had, and succumbed in the second set by a close 7--5 score.

The Sauerteig--Bernzsek combo won one match in the consolation bracket before bowing to the strong and steady team from Choate in the semi-finals by an 8--5 score.

The Hopkins boys' tennis team has a right to take great pride in its many accomplishments during the 2004 spring season.