Tigers take third in Middle Border boys tennis tournament

• Buck O'Flanagan

New Richmond's Buck O'Flanagan makes a play at the net in a three doubles match during the conference tournament.

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After finishing fourth in the Middle Border Conference dual meet season, the New Richmond boys tennis team was able to move up to take third place in last Tuesday’s 2010 MBC tournament.

The Tigers weren’t champions at any flight. Eau Claire Regis, which ran away with the team title, took six of the seven flight championships. The seventh title went to Durand foreign exchange student Heitor Guelfi, at one singles.

Regis won the tournament with 40 points. Altoona was second with 22 points and New Richmond was third with 14 points.

It was the one singles flight where the Tigers got their biggest highlight of the tournament. Tiger junior Justice Harvieux was seeded fourth and easily handled his opening opponent from Ellsworth, 6-2, 6-3.

In the second round Harvieux drew Guelfi. Harvieux played a strategic match, keeping away from Guelfi’s rocket forehands whenever possible. Harvieux led through the first few games. Guelfi was forced to elevate his game to beat Harvieux 6-3, 6-0. Harvieux entertained many of the NRHS fans who were watching the match on their lunch hour.

“Justice played some of the best tennis I’ve ever seen him play in that first set,” said Tiger coach Mike Montello.

In the third place match Harvieux faced Altoona’s Cody Hoggatt, who had been seeded third in the bracket. Harvieux took the first set 6-4, but Hoggatt came back to win the second by the same score.

At times during the third set it appeared as though Hoggatt was going to pull away. Hoggatt led 3-1 and was ahead 30-0 with a 5-4 lead. Harvieux came back to break Hoggatt’s serve. Harvieux then won the final two games for the 7-5 win.

“It was like watching two prize fighters. It was great tennis, a great win for Justice,” Montello said.

The highest finish for the Tigers in the tournament came at four singles. Charlie Gartner took second place. He was the top seed in the flight after going through the conference dual matches undefeated. He had minimal trouble in his semifinal match, but never got going in the finals. He lost to Regis’ Marc Sacia 6-2, 6-1.

Taking third place in the singles flight was junior Jorden Aufderhar at three singles. Aufderhar topped Durand’s Alex Bauer in the opening round 6-0, 6-2. Aufderhar couldn’t overcome a slow start in the semifinals, losing to Altoona’s Jarrad Brinker 6-0, 6-4.

In the third place match Aufderhar was at the top of his game, putting away Amery’s David Teig 6-0, 6-2.

The Tigers took fourth place at two doubles and three doubles. The two doubles team of Pat Meath and Cody Chouinard upset Baldwin-Woodville in the opening round, 7-5, 6-4. They were overpowered by Amery in the semifinals. They lost a competitive third place match to Altoona, dropping the second set on a tie-breaker that wasn’t decided until 14-12.

Dylan Zdroik and Buck O’Flanagan took fourth place in the three doubles flight. They opened with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Ellsworth. They lost to Regis in the semifinals. The third set was a marathon, going to three sets, with Amery scoring a 6-2, 6-7 (3-7), 6-4 win.

Ben Chilsen at two singles and Drew Jensen and Charlie Kleiner at one doubles lost their opening matches, eliminating them from the tournament.

Tags: sports, tigers, tennis, prep