The men’s Varsity tennis team continues a very strong season, with an undefeated record and a first place finish at the Suburban League Tournament.

On April 27, the team also defeated Copley for the first time in 6 years in a 3-2 win. Juniors Raj and Ram Kumar led the team with strong singles wins. Varsity coach Paul Fisher explained the plan for the remainder of the season.

“[The] season is ending some time in the middle of May. We’ve got some guys who are hoping to make it to the state tournament which is at the end of May, but our regular season last match is May 5,” Fisher said.

Seniors Jason Fan and Goodman Li represent the team as co-captains. When asked about what makes a great tennis player, Fan cited the impact of practice.

“Someone who’s hard working [makes a great tennis player]… it’s all just practice. It’s all about the little things like technique. It doesn’t really require a natural athleticism. You can still do fine without being naturally athletic,” Fan said.

Practicing for the game requires preparation for the format, which remains mostly the same from game to game. Fisher explained the rigid structure of singles and doubles.

“We generally have a pretty set lineup, where the same guys are playing singles each match and doubles each match. We have had to do some rotations because of illness and injury,” Fisher said.

Senior Goodman Li has primarily focused on singles matches during his tennis career. When asked about the most satisfying aspect of tennis, Li referred to the satisfaction of winning a rally (when the opponents in tennis create a chain of hits without the ball going out).

“A winner is where you hit a ball so hard that the opponent can’t reach it with their racket. Whenever you have a rally and score a winner, it’s really satisfying,” Li said.

Outside of these moments, the team must maintain their sense of perseverance in order to succeed in the lengthy matches. Fisher also cited “mental toughness” and “stamina” as key elements of tennis due to the difficulty and length of matches.

The team will continue to carry these qualities into the postseason.