It’s a rebuilding year for the Reeths-Puffer boys tennis team, and victories have been hard to come by – but the Rockets sure got a big one on Monday from senior Ethan Frang.
Frang played what might have been the best match of his varsity career and stunned Terrance He, the top player from state-ranked Byron Center, 7-5, 7-6 in the No. 1 singles match at Reeths-Puffer.
The final set was knotted at 6-6, so the two players went to a one-game tie-breaker, which had to be won by two points. The score was tied 7-7 and Frang won a point, but his opponent disputed the call.
Frang agreed to play the point over, won it a second time, then also won the next point to seal up the victory.
Ethan Frang
He, a junior, has been a seeded state finals qualifier for the past two years. Frang has never qualified for the state finals.
Yet Frang overcame some obstacles to pull off the upset, which was R-P’s lone victory in an 8-1 team loss to Byron Center.
R-P Coach Ryan Hankinson was impressed.
“It was likely his best match ever, because he broke his strings during warmups, never felt comfortable with his backup racquet, and didn’t have his best stuff, yet battled and competed with better patience and strategy than we have ever witnessed during his matches,” Hankinson said.
Cory Judd
Frang was also successful in a match against Grand Haven on Saturday, beating Max Walters 6-0, 6-0, for the Rockets’ sole victory against the Buccaneers.
He is now 10-5 on the season.
Cory Judd, R-P’s No. 2 singles player, also continued to experience some success, beating Jee Weis of Kalamazoo Loy Norrix 6-2, 6-2 in a recent match. It was R-P’s only victory against Loy Norrix.
Judd is now 5-5 in singles play this season.
“Cory is battling hard against some talented opponents a No. 2 singles, playing our most challenging schedule ever at R-P,” Hankinson said. “We are lucky to have a senior with his experience to show the younger players how to compete and battle against talented foes, and against physical and mental pain.”’
The Rockets will visit Mona Shores on Wednesday in an O-K Green conference rivalry match.