Top singles player dominates in Gilroy boys tennis team’s 6-1
win.
GILROY – Senior Robbie Marques had something to prove – to himself, to his coach, and to his classmates. In his opening T-CAL bout, Marques took his lumps against Salinas’ star John Pettit – not winning a single game in his straight-set loss.
So once again Marques invited his friends to come see him play in the No. 1 singles spot for Tuesday’s match against Hollister. And once again, Marques was up against a tough competitor in Haybaler Glenn Morris.
“I was determined to do better than last week. I had that picture in my mind of all those people watching me lose (against Pettit),” said Marques, who redeemed himself in front of his hometown fans with a commanding 6-3, 6-1 win over the hard-hitting Morris. “I played great today. I was on. The first set, I was going for the kills and winners. In the second set, I just rallied him out.”
Marques accounted for one of six Gilroy wins as the Mustangs notched their first T-CAL win with a 6-1 spanking of rival Hollister.
“We’re back,” said head coach Chris Yoder, whose squad rebounded well from an opening loss to Salinas.
Senior Jacob Pniewski – Gilroy’s usual No. 2 singles player – was battling even before his No. 4 singles bout against Hollister’s Patrick Hanson. Pniewski was hit by illness last week – forcing him to miss the Salinas match. But nothing was going to keep him out for a second straight time – not even his bronchitis.
“I’m feeling about 70 percent,” said Pniewski, following his 6-2, 6-0 victory. “I was just trying to get my serve in and hit the ball over the net. I noticed he was having trouble with my slice so I threw a cup load of them in there.”
Senior Mark Heisy, in the No. 2 singles position, and Mark Hsieh, in the No. 3 spot, made it a clean sweep as Heisy earned a 6-3, 7-5 victory over Hollister’s Cameron Barker and Hsieh cruised to a 6-1, 6-1 nod over Sean Russell.
“My confidence was a little better,” said Heisy, who lost his opening bout against Salinas. “It showed in my forehand.”
In doubles action, the No. 1 tandem of Ray Rivera and Tomas Carrillo recorded a 6-4, 6-1 victory; the No. 2 pair of Peter Adams and Anthony Christian registered a 6-0, 6-1 triumph; and the No. 3 freshman duo of P.J. Jamal and Ryan McBrearty battled into a third set before falling for the first time this season.
“We just relaxed and had fun and let things happen,” said Christian, following his second straight win with Adams.
“Everything was working pretty well,” Adams added.
FRESHMEN FIRST: In their first varsity match of their young careers, Jamal and McBrearty were one of only two Mustang pairs to win against defending champ Salinas. “We kept each other up,” Jamal said. “Everything was working well.”
