Lenox Boys Reach Western Mass Final

LENOX, Mass. – Sawyer Levin hit a forehand from his baseline that just caught the line to finish a three-set win at first doubles and give the Lenox boys tennis team a 3-2 win over Frontier in the semi-finals of the Western Massachusetts Class C Tournament on Monday.

 

Levin and Sebastian Manrique won the last match on the court, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4, to send the top-seeded Millionaires to Wednesday afternoon’s regional final against No. 2 Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter, a 4-1 winner over Mount Greylock in the other half of the bracket on Monday.

 

The Millionaires swept the doubles points to continue an unbeaten season.

 

Devon Smitt and Aiden Tran had an easier time at second doubles, where they breezed to a 6-1, 6-1 win.

 

The Millionaires’ other point also came in straight sets, with Aydan Shove posting a 6-1, 6-1 win at No. 2 singles.

 

First singles also went quickly, with Frontier’s Casey Bestler besting Alex Kolean, 6-3, 6-1.

 

That left Manrique and Levin playing side-by-side with the third singles court, where Lenox’s Edmund Pritchard fought to end but dropped a 2-6, 6-2, 7-5 decision to the Red Hawks’ Oliver Brown.

 

“They all knew one of their courts had to win or they were not going to the finals,” Lenox coach Monica Herman said. “So there’s a lot of pressure in that. That can both be a positive and a negative.

 

“It also can be really distracting, and I try to tell them not to actually look at the adjacent courts to see what’s going on with the scores, because they need to focus on the ball on their court.”

 

Levin and Manrique have been locked in for Lenox in the month of May, going 4-0 in the Millionaires’ last four county matches at No. 1 doubles.

 

Herman said the pair have worked well together this spring.

 

“Sebastian’s a returning ninth-grader, and he was definitely the one who kind of helped Sawyer at the beginning because he’s a young seventh-grader,” Herman said. “He kind of helped him get his feet on the ground, if you will, and kind of figure it out.”

 

Lenox’s girls on Tuesday will look to join the boys in the Western Mass finals. Last year, Lenox’s girls won their second straight regional crown.

 

More photos from this match to come.

 

Singles

No. 1 Casey Bestler, F, def. Alex Kolean, 6-3, 6-1.

No. 2 Aydan Shove, L, def. Brayden Reipold, 6-1, 6-1.

No. 3 Oliver Brown, F, def. Edmund Pritchard, 2-6, 6-2, 7-5.

Doubles

No. 1 Sebastian Manrique/Sawyer Levin, L, def. Xavier Fripp/Noah Nichols, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4.

No. 2 Devon Smitt/Aiden Tran, L, def. Liam Wells/Harrison Manning, 6-1, 6-1.