Boys Tennis Finishes Second at Kingswood Invitational

From Coach William Ewen:



The Hopkins boys' tennis team, represented by #1 singles player Alex Zackheim, team tri-captains Adam Sauerteig, Lenny Kolstad, and David Goodrich, and freshman #2 player Phil Bernasek, participated in the Kingswood Invitational Tennis Tournament (the first time for Hopkins since 1976) and came away with the second place team trophy out of the eight teams participating, edging out Westminster School of Simsbury, Ct., by just one point, 20 to 19. Choate--Rosemary Hall of Wallingford, Ct. wound up winning the tournament with 34 points.

The margin of victory for the Hopkins team was provided by the #2 doubles team of captains Adam Sauerteig (grade 12) and Lenny Kolstad (grade 11), who defeated the top seeded Choate #2 doubles team in the finals in three fiercely contested sets. Our #1 doubles team of Alex Zackheim and Phil Bernasek won very close matches against #1 teams from Hotchkiss (7-5, 7-5) and the top seeded doubles team from Lawrenceville (4-6, 6-2, 6-2) before losing a heartbreaking 3 set match to Choate's top team in the finals.

Other highlights included #1 singles player and 11th grader Alex Zackheim defeating the #4 seeded opponent from Lawrenceville (NJ) School and the #1 seeded opponent from Hotchkiss before just barely being edged out 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 by Mauricio Osorio, the #2 seeded player from Choate. Our new 9th grader, Phil Bernasek, defeated opponents from West Hartford and Lawrenceville before falling in the finals to #2 seed Eliot Jia from Choate. Adam Sauerteig played at the #3 position for Hopkins; after losing his first match to a Hotchkiss, he fought back and defeated players from Deerfield Academy and host Kingswood--Oxford School to finish in 5th place.

Tri-captain Adam Sauerteig plans to present the team runner-up trophy to the school in morning assembly on Thursday, April 8.