San Rafael High's girls tennis team dropped its MCAL opener 5-2 to Archie Williams on Wednesday, Aug. 26, in a match that went down to super-tiebreakers at multiple positions.
Terra Linda fell by the same score to San Marin. Both local squads look to rebound Friday, Aug. 28, when San Rafael travels to Redwood and Terra Linda hosts Tamalpais. Matches start at 4 p.m.
The Marin Independent Journal reported that Archie Williams won the top three singles spots against the Bulldogs. The tightest battle came at No. 2 singles, where Archie Williams' Ashlyn Alba edged San Rafael's Amelie Ward 6-4, 1-6, 11-9 in a super-tiebreaker. Ward earned second-team all-MCAL honors in singles last season.
San Rafael's Paige George salvaged a point at No. 4 singles, gutting out a 6-4, 6-7 (7-4), 11-9 win over Piper Jenkinson. San Rafael's other point came in doubles.
Despite the opening loss, San Rafael enters the season with high expectations. The Marin IJ described the Bulldogs as "one of the favorites to win the MCAL crown."
Terra Linda's doubles shine
San Marin's Devanshi Shrestha, last season's MCAL Player of the Year, dominated Terra Linda's Kylie Lee 6-0, 6-0 at No. 1 singles. Lee, a senior and second-team all-league selection last fall, faced a player in peak form.
The Trojans' bright spot came at No. 1 doubles. Isabella Weinstein and Kristina Lee rallied from a set down to beat San Marin's Catania DeKeyrel and Tessa Christian 1-6, 7-6, 12-10. Terra Linda also won at No. 3 doubles.
Friday's matchups
San Rafael faces a tough test at Redwood, which opened its season with a 4-3 win over Tamalpais on Wednesday. Redwood coach Tracey Porter praised her freshmen after the victory: "Our freshmen really came through."
The Giants feature first-team all-MCAL singles player Alessia Bailliet and a deep doubles lineup that swept Tam in three matches.
Terra Linda hosts Tam, which will play away from its Mill Valley campus all season while its courts undergo renovation. Tam's Chloe Mouret-Lafage, a first-team all-league singles player, told the Marin IJ after Wednesday's match, "I'm looking forward to playing Terra Linda … Terra Linda is a fun team, a really good group."
The MCAL schedule lists San Rafael at Terra Linda on Thursday, Sept. 3.
