Round one goes to Melrose, 5-0, over Central Catholic

Published in the June 8, 2018 edition

By JENNIFER GENTILE

MELROSE—The reigning Middlesex Freedom League champion Red Raider tennis team earned their first playoff win with a 5-0 victory over Central Catholic at Woburn Racket Club on Tuesday, advancing them to quarterfinals and improving their record to 13-4. Melrose will play the winner of Medford and Gloucester on Saturday. A Gloucester win would give Melrose a home match, while a Mustang win would have the Red Raiders traveling to Medford to face the #4 seed. 

Melrose went into the match knowing little about the #12 seed Raiders (7-6) who put up strong fights in the first and second singles matches. They were pitted against Melrose’s Caleb Zimmerman (1st) and Jason Jang (2nd), who both competed for over two hours in their matches to emerge victorious. 

“These were marathon matches, just really quality tennis that we witnessed,” reports Melrose coach Matt Williams. “Central Catholic was a tricky opponent and though we started a bit rusty, once we got into our groove we got the job done. We’re excited about the win.”

THE MELROSE Red Raider tennis team beat Central Catholic in the opening round of Div. 2 North playoffs. Pictured is Jason Jang.  (Donna Larsson photo)

Zimmerman prevailed over his opponent after a first set 6-3 loss to win a second set, 6-2, and then win a critical third tie-breaking set, 7-6. “Caleb really dug deep,” says his coach. “He’s been playing great tennis all season but today he showed guts under pressure.”

Teammate Jason Jang in second singles also fought a 2-hour marathon session against his opponent, prevailing 3-6, 7-6 and 10-4. “He played an excellent match and even if he felt tired he never gave up,” says Williams. 

In third singles, Henry MacDonnell was the first to put Melrose on the board with a quick 6-2, 6-1 victory over his opponent. And in doubles, the pair of Saja Vlajkovic and Zac Zibaitis prevailed in sets of 6-2, 7-6. Says their coach, “These two played a real aggressive game and when the other pair drew close, they struck back and finished the job. I give them so much credit for coming back strong.”

Second doubles play was just as strong, with Ryan Locke and Jack Summersby taking out their rivals, 6-3 and 6-4. “That was a rollercoaster of a match and in the end, they really just took care of business,” says Williams. 

Having earned deep playoff experience in recent years, Melrose has shown no signs of rust, despite a nearly three-week break from their last match. Even their seniors, thick into prom and graduation events, showed no signs of lag. “I think the kids had a nice balance between real life celebration and quality practices that helped us prepare for playoffs,” says Williams. “Tomorrow, they rest. Then we practice the next few days.” 

As for the next competition (Gloucester or Medford), coach Williams has some snooping to do. “My job is to do some quick learning and prepare ourselves in the best position to win.”

Look for Melrose to compete in quarterfinal play on Saturday. Fans are encouraged to visit www.miaa.net or check our Facebook and Twitter pages.