A long first day took its toll Friday on Batavia’s doubles team of Adam Maris and Ryan Sterling.
The duo was not able to keep its run going on the second day of the boys tennis state tournament held at various sites in the northwest suburbs.
Maris, a junior, and Sterling, a senior, dropped their fourth-round match in the consolation bracket against Downers North’s Mantas Kisielius and Chandler Downs by a score of 6-2, 6-4.
“In the three matches on Thursday we played eight sets and it’s never a great thing to play eight sets in a day,” Maris said. “We were a little tired and my wrist was really sore. I don’t think we came out with enough energy to compete with a good team [Friday].”
“This morning we came out flat,” Batavia coach Brad Nelson said. “They were still feeling the effects of yesterday. We just weren’t able to put things together.”
Still, Nelson was thrilled with how the state tournament turned out for the pair.
“I think they exceeded expectations,” Nelson said. “Ryan had played No. 1 singles for us last year and it’s his fourth year on varsity. He hadn’t played any doubles, so that was a variable we didn’t know.
“They started off slow but got better and better as the season went on. They were the No. 2 seed at sectionals and qualified easily. We felt like they came together at the right time.”
Maris and Sterling finished the season with a record of 34-6 and have the most wins in a season for a doubles team in school history.
They were also Batavia’s first doubles team since 1995 to qualify for state and just the third in school history.
“It definitely motivates me for next year,” Maris said. “Playing at state for the first time, you realize how good some of the people are.”
Geneva’s doubles team of Ryan Doeckel and John Potts also came up short in the fourth round of the consolation bracket as they lost to Barrington’s Ishaan Jaglan and Scott Apmann by a score of 6-4, 6-3.
The only remaining player from the area left in the singles bracket, Waubonsie Valley freshman Suveer Kothuri, fell short in the fourth round of the backdraw. Kothuri was defeated by Stevenson’s Benjamin Bush 6-0, 6-1.
