Aside from a rather bizarre ending, Maharishi School dispatched Fairfield without much drama on a blustery afternoon at the Punj Center.
Once again, talented sophomore Ruimin Luo led the Pioneers attack. Once again, Luo dominated an opponent he’d lost to twice last year. The Pioneers built an insurmountable 5-0 lead before the Trojans put a point on the board.
“Since arriving at Maharishi School in the Fall of ‘21, Ruimin’s worked incredibly hard,” explained Pioneer coach, Steve Briggs. “He’s so skilled that it’s easy to forget that Ruimin’s been playing less than 2 years. His game has matured quickly.”
At #3, Polo Altynski-Ross kept his unbeaten singles record in tact with his 4th win of the season. “Polo’s expects a lot out of himself,” observed Briggs. ”He’s a team leader.”
Sophomore Han Wang, arguably the best athlete in the meet, capitalized on his quickness to defeat Ethan Cass at the #4 slot. After picking up a racket for the first time last October, Han sparred with Ruimin all winter. As a result, Wang is one of the Pioneers most reliable players. “Han’s got a high ceiling,” said Briggs.
Pioneer captain, Chacho Roesler got off to a sluggish start at #5, dropping the first 3 games before outplaying Rylan Anderson to capture the deciding point for the Pioneers. “Chacho’s a warrior. He’s had some health issues this spring, but Chacho gives everything no matter what,” said Briggs.
At #6, senior Mekhi Kahui got off to a fast start and never looked back. Mekhi defeated Niko Emerson in straight sets to remain undefeated.
Although the outcome of the match between crosstown rivals was already decided, the fans were treated to some high octane doubles when Luo and Wegman took on 2022 state qualifiers, Garret Flanagan and Jace Hannes. Neither team was able to gain the upper hand as the tightly contested match leveled at 8-8.
The Pioneers jumped out to a 6-3 lead in the deciding tiebreaker, needing just a single point to seal the victory. But there’s a reason Fairfield’s senior duo hasn’t lost a dual meet in 2 years. Their gritty, ‘in your face’ brand of tennis kept their hopes alive as they saved 3 match points to level the tiebreak at 6-6.
At 8-8, the teams exchanged rapid fire blows until Ruimin lifted a deft topspin lob over the Trojans outstretched rackets to secure yet another match point.
That’s when things got a bit crazy…
On the ensuing point, a hot exchange brought all four players to net. Ruimin hit what appeared to be the match winning volley, causing the Pioneer duo to roar triumphantly. However, the celebration proved premature as Hannes nimbly chased down the ball as it veered away from him. The Pioneers maneuvered to gain yet another opportunity to end the match, but an untimely miscue leveled the score yet again. Stunned by the unlikely turn of events, the Pioneers never recovered.
The final roar of the match came from the Trojan end of the court, and, although the Pioneers had secured the team’s victory over an hour earlier, it felt like Fairfield had finally topped the Pioneers after 33 years. (1990 was the first and only time the Trojans defeated Maharishi School).
“Garret and Jace used about half their nine lives in the span of five minutes,” mused Briggs. “There are times when those guys could tone it down a bit.. their antics often overshadow their skills… but give them credit… they believed… and they pulled it off. We preach self belief but today we got schooled… and it stung.”
The Pioneer Players of the Match are Han Wang and Chacho Roesler who each scored 2 points in the Pioneers 6-3 win.
- #1 Ruimin Luo def Garret Flanagan 6-3, 6-0
- #2 Jace Hannes def Jay Wegman 7-6 (5), 6-4
- #3 Polo Altynksi-Ross def Dil Hurlin 6-2, 6-2
- #4 Han Wang def Ethan Cass 6-2, 6-3
- #5 Chacho Roesler def Rylan Anderson 6-4, 7-5
- #6 Mekhi Kahui def Niko Emerson 6-0, 6-4
- #1 Luo/Wegman lost to Hannes/Flanagan 9-8 (10)
- #2 Wang/Roesler def Hurlin/Emerson 8-6
- #3 Altynski-Ross-Kahui lost to Cass/Anderson 8-6