Girls’ tennis: Team takes fifth at Peachtree, looks forward to league season

It’s hard to top a perfect season.

Losing a match came as a shock to the girls’ tennis team following their 25-0 season last year, but they still succeeded in winning fifth place at the California Girls High School Tennis Classic in Fresno earlier this month.

After a tough match with Santa Barbara High, the team suffered a 4-3 loss on Sept. 9. The No. 1 doubles team of seniors Lisa Asai and Sarah Lum split sets with their opponents and lost 10-2 in the match tiebreaker. Junior Niharika Bedekar was not present for the first day of matches, causing the lineup to be shifted up.

Nevertheless, coach Tom Uyehara felt pleased with the team’s fifth place win. “I felt [winning] was more rewarding as it showed the players that they could beat some of the tougher teams regardless of a complete lineup,” Uyehara said.

The team came back with a pair of 4-3 wins over Granite Bay High School and St. Francis High School in the consolation rounds on Sept. 10. Sophomore Kalyani Narayan, who played the No. 1 singles position, provided vital wins in both matches. Against Granite Bay, she triumphed 7-6, 6-4 in the deciding match that gave Saratoga the win.

“I wasn’t expecting to win against such a fantastic player [Granite Bay’s senior Karolina Kecki],” Narayan said. “I really think I was inspired by my teammates and coach because they were really supportive.”

Against St. Francis, Bedekar, who stepped up to play at the No. 2 singles position, came back from losing 1-4 in the second set to win her match 6-2, 6-4.

“It was a great feeling to come back and be able to tune out all the negativity of the other team,” Bedekar said. “It meant a lot that it was for the team, so I was really happy I was able to win for them.”

Narayan’s match again was the deciding match when she won 6-2, 6-4. Usual No. 1 singles player senior Crystal Yen and Lum were not present for the last two matches due to an individual tournament and the ACT respectively.

Uyehara remains optimistic about the season ahead. ”I am looking forward to repeating the results from last season,” he said. “I believe we have the team and talent to do it; we just have to get it done on the court. It will definitely be tougher, but this team has proven time and time again to succeed when it is faced with adversity.”

The girls opened the De Anza league season with a 7-0 win over Mountain View on Sept. 13 and triumphed over Gunn 7-0 on Sept. 22.

Uyehara predicts tough matches against usual top competitors Monta Vista, Archbishop Mitty and Menlo.

“Overall, we match up well against them, but everyone will need to play to the best of their abilities if we want a chance to beat them,” he said. “Everyone needs to stay positive and keep focused regardless of our wins and losses through the season.”

The team will conclude the first round of the league season with a Sept. 29 away match against Monta Vista.