The Vikings High School Tennis Team started strong in the district tournament at the Arlington Tennis Center yesterday. 6 players in each division qualify for the State Tournament, which will be played in Waco April 8-9. Making the semifinals of the tournament automatically earns a spot in State.
In girls’ doubles, Courtney Wiethorn or Rachel Merchant won their first round 6-1, 6-0 and lost the quarterfinals in a tie-breaker. They play in the back draw for the qualifying 5th and 6th places tomorrow. Avery Hanes and Claire Smith got better every set, losing first round to the formidable sole team from Willow Park and lost in the consolation in a close match. In girls’ singles, Sarah Emerson lost a competitive match, in what was the longest match of the first round to a player from Flower Mound. Sarah won 8-0 in the consolation and will play in the finals of consolation tomorrow.
In boys’ singles, James Merchant earned a spot in the state tournament with a 6-0, 6-0 first-round win and a 6-0, 6-1 second-round win. James plays in the semifinals tomorrow against the #3 seed from Tyler All Saint. Billy Xu won first round 6-0, 6-2, but lost to the #1 seed from Tyler All Saints in the second round. Billy will play in the back draw tomorrow to play for the chance to qualify for state with a 5th or 6th place finish. In boys’ doubles, Langston Wade and Adrian Northcutt won their first-round match 6-2, 7-5. Losing in the second round, Langston and Adrian also play in the back draw for a chance at qualifying in the 5th or 6th spot. Karch Knoll and Ethan Marsh earned a spot in the state tournament winning their first round 6-0, 6-1 and their second round 6-1, 6-2. Karch and Ethan play in the semifinals tomorrow against the #4 seeds from Lubbock Trinity.
