By Lexi Nelson
Sports Reporter
Last Friday, the Newton South girls’ tennis team defeated their Dual County League rival, Westford Academy, 3-2. The Lions showed strength all around, with junior Samantha Smith and senior captain Sarah King winning their matches as the second and third singles, respectively. Freshman Dorra Guermazi and senior Julia Estrin put away countless balls at the net, winning their match as the first doubles pair.
Although it was a rainy week leading up to the match, the Lions did not let the weather slow their preparations for the match. Despite a postponed match against Acton-Boxboro changing their schedule, and without their usual courts to practice on, the team stayed focused and kept working hard. The Lions practiced inside on Wednesday to prepare for the match and returned to outdoor practice on Thursday.
“The doubles teams prepared by practicing a strategy that we knew our opponents were going to do, which is both [players] back, instead of one up and one back,” sophomore Zoe Golub said.
The Lions showed their characteristic determination and skill throughout the match. Smith had an especially notable match, with consistent shots so strong that her opponent forfeited because her shoulder was in so much pain from the tough returns. King also played well, finding consistency and aggression that her opponent had difficulty competing with.
“Throughout the lineup, when we got a lot of balls in play, we tended to win points,” King said.
Despite junior captain Kayla Schwartz losing a hard-fought first singles match, and Golub and freshman Sydney Handel facing a tough loss in their second doubles match, their persistent energy and accuracy were impressive.
“[Schwartz, Golub and Handel] all stayed very competitive in their matches throughout, which took a lot of pressure off of the other positions, so that was huge,” King said.
After the win at Westford, the Lions now sit at 5-1. They will look to extend their winning streak with a home match against Weston on Monday, followed by a match at Arlington on Tuesday.
