Tennis Tournament Highlights in Lexington
In Lexington, the state tennis tournament proved to be a challenging experience for Russell’s Max Newman and Bryson Hill, who had already secured the title of 16th Region boys’ doubles champions. On Wednesday, they faced a grueling three-match day at the University of Kentucky’s Boone/Downing Tennis Complex.
After an impressive start with a decisive win over their first opponents, 6-2, 6-2, they encountered a tough matchup against Owensboro Catholic’s duo of Houston Danzer and Carter Bernard. Newman and Hill began strong, winning the first set 6-4. However, the Owensboro team fought back, securing a break to take the second set, 7-5. In a thrilling finish, Newman and Hill prevailed in the super tiebreaker of the third set, winning 10-6 and advancing to the quarterfinals.
Unfortunately, their journey ended there, as they succumbed to the top-seeded pair from Covington Catholic, Kalei Christensen and Blake Hussey, who dominated the match, finishing it 6-0, 6-2.
Girls’ Tournament Updates
The girls’ tournament also showcased talent from Rose Hill Christian. Their team, comprising Abi Justus and Carmen Callaway, won their first match convincingly without dropping a game, but fell short in the next match against South Warren’s Paisley Harris and Ravnoor Dhaliwal, losing 7-5 in the second set.
Additionally, Lakin Deerfield, a two-time champion from the 16th Region, faced a strong opponent, only winning one game in her opening match before being eliminated by Beatriz Fernández Fournier from Central Hardin in the Round of 32.
Rowan County Competitors
Rowan County featured prominently with four competitors advancing to the second round. Chris Gray and Jacob Campbell, both of whom held titles in the boys 16th Region singles, made it through to the second day despite the matches being delayed due to weather conditions. Carter Owens and Logan Lucas also advanced to the Round of 32 for the Vikings; however, all four Rowan County players concluded their state run by the morning of the following day.
Meanwhile, Ashland’s Chris Peacock had a notable win against Madisonville North Hopkins’s Ethan Larkins on Tuesday. The tournament included all semifinalists and finalists from the region, and it is set to conclude today.
