Raiders Capture State Crown

A resilient Wellesley boys' tennis team tasted perfection Thursday, claiming the Division 1 state title with a 5-0 win over St. John's of Shrewsbury to end the season at a perfect 26-0.

"You play match to match and definitely think about winning every time," said senior tri-captain Gordon Peters, who remained undefeated Thursday with doubles partner Alex Robertson, "but this overall perfection, it's hard to get my mind around right now."

The Raiders captured their program's second state championship, first as a Division 1 team, at Shrewsbury High School. Wellesley, under current coach Mike Sabin, took the title in 2005, the last year the team competed in Division 2. The last two years, the team was knocked-out in the state semi-finals.

"To get here this year and win it, it's an unbelievable feeling," said junior Chris Cua, who clinched the team victory at second singles.

Despite the lopsided final, there were tense moments. After winning four first sets, Wellesley dropped two second sets, sending three matches, second and third singles and first doubles, to decisive third sets.

Cua, playing against St. John's freshman Dylan Fletcher, won his first set 6-4 but then fell in the second 1-6. With Wellesley up 2-0 and the other two matches heading for a third set, Cua rebounded to take the final set 6-1, ending any possible comeback.

"I got frustrated in the second set, and he started to string together points," he said. "After the set, I told myself to go back and play like I did in the first. I knew that if I put pressure on him, I'd probably win, but if I played defensively, I'd probably lose."

Sabin said he thought tough matches against Lexington and Needham in the state semi-finals and south sectional final, respectively, helped prepare his team for any adversity.

"When St. John's put runs on us in different matches at different times and started to gain momentum, we knew that we were still in it, and we were able to fight back," he said.

St. John's, the Central champions, finished the season 23-2.

After having a match point at 5-4 in the second set, Peters and Robertson, at first doubles, found themselves in a tough third set for only the second time this season against junior Jon Bannon and freshman Lucas Tata. "Mentally, we treat the third set like it's the first game of the match," Peters said, "and with that mental focus, the tennis comes."

The duo responded for a 6-1, 6-7, 6-3 win. They will compete in the state doubles semi-finals, and possibly finals, Saturday at Clark University, where Peters will attempt to defend his championship. He won last year with outgoing partner Mitchell Henry.

At third singles, senior Neil Bhatt dug out of a 3-6, 0-5 second-set hole to take the match 3-6, 7-6, 6-3 over St. John's junior Parth Amin. With his back against the wall, Bhatt won 10 out of 11 games, including the tiebreak, to stay alive.

Wellesley junior Ilya Levin dominated St. John's stud freshman Chris Ellis at first singles 6-2, 6-1. Ellis, who will play in the state singles semi-finals Saturday, lost only once before this season.

Senior tri-captain David Mykrantz and Jeff Baldwin, also a senior, beat St. John's Jack O'Day and Cam Lewis in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2, at second doubles.