Blair tennis crushes Magruder

BLAZER TENNIS COURTS, Sept. 10--

The Blair girls' tennis team (2-2) defeated Magruder 6-1. Solid strategies and teamwork contributed to the win, despite the absence of the second singles player and a high wind factor.

Sophomore Leslie Chen, the first seeded singles player, credited her 12-0 victory to successful strategizing. "There were several instances where I was able to hit serves that pulled [my opponent] far out of the court, and then I would hit a ball to the other side so it was harder for her to return," Chen said.

According to Chen, remaining relaxed was also a factor in her decisive win. "When I was losing points during our last home game against B-CC, I was getting really frustrated because I could've made those shots, " she said. "But this time, I was able to keep my calm and really focus."

First doubles Christine Jean and Amy Li were also successful with a score of 12-1. Though the last game was a deuce, the duo's team played allowed the eventual win.

Third doubles Daliah Barg believes that her improving teamwork with freshman Divya Rajagopal also contributed to their 12-3 win. "We communicated on the court more this game, like when we called ‘mine' or ‘yours' every time a ball came our way," Barg said.

The fourth singles match marked Blair's only loss that afternoon. Because second singles Allison Whitney was absent this game, the fourth and third singles shifted up one spot, leaving a substitute needed for the fourth singles spot. Coach David Ngbea did not want to split up the existing double teams, so alternate Song-Binh Ngo took the position.

Ngo lost 1-6 in the first set and 4-6 in the second, but was happy about her score. "I was proud of myself because this was the first match I've ever played. I learned a lot," she said.

Even with the Blazers' solid game play, the strong winds posed an additional challenge. "The wind made it a lot harder to keep the ball in the court," Rajagopal said.

Still, the Magruder team found Blair a difficult opponent. "Blair was good at consistency and hitting far back at the baseline," Magruder third singles Elley Simmons said. Magruder's second singles Meghan Gadola agreed with her teammates statement, adding that the team needs to be quicker to the ball. "We could've been more aggressive. "

The girls' tennis team will play their next home game on Sept. 15 at 10 a.m.