On Wednesday, June 17, the girls tennis team lost to Andover, the defending state champions, 4-1 in the state semifinals.
Brookline fell into a quick hole, with everyone losing their first sets except for senior Rachel Hechinger, who won 6-1, 6-0 and dominated from start to finish .
Soon after, sophomore Ndanu Mutisiaf lost for third singles 0-6, 3-6 and senior Allie Greenberg and junior Clasby Chope lost for second doubles 5-7, 4-6. Thus, both first singles and first doubles needed to win in order to advance.
Playing in front of an uncharacteristically raucous crowd, the highly-ranked freshman Sonya Khudyakov, playing for first singles, fell. Consequently, first doubles of senior Mei Kasif and junior Carrie Tucker lost 2-6, 6-3, 3-6.
While Khudyakov was emotional after the game, she finishes her season with a total of only two losses: against Andover and against Cohasset senior Emma Davis in the individual championships.
“Sonya has been an incredible addition to the team, and we are lucky to have her,” Tucker said. “Throughout the season she has been super competitive in her position at first singles, but has also been a good supporter for the rest of us, and is just all around one of the best players you could ask for on and off the court.”
Last Friday, June 12th, the team defeated Sharon 4-1 to win the South Sectional Division I championship and thus earned a spot in the state semifinals. In that victory, the team won its first and third singles matches and both of its doubles. Khudyakov, Mutisiaf, Kasif, Tucker, Chope and Greenberg all played crucial roles in the win.
“It was an incredible way to end my Brookline High School tennis career,” Hechinger said. “Not only am I grateful for the amazing talent, which speaks for itself, but also for our incredible sportsmanship and team dynamic.”
On that same day, the boys tennis team fell to Barnstable in the Division I South Sectional championship, capping off an otherwise undefeated season.
The girls tennis team loses three seniors from their varsity squad, but the core of Khudyakov, Tucker, Mutisiaf, and Chope will remain, along with injured sophomore Emily Ribatt.
The team ends its season undefeated in the regular season and was crowned the South Sectional Division I champions.
Tucker agreed that while their semifinals loss hurt, the season was one to be remembered.
“We were all definitely a little disappointed that we lost,” Tucker said. “But we focused on the fact that we made it so far into the tournament and all of the positive things that have happened this season.”
Noa Dalzell can be contacted at [email protected]
