AURORA | The Grandview boys tennis team flexed its considerable strength Wednesday in the opening round of the Class 5A team state tournament, but doubles fortitude got it through to the next round.
Junior No. 1 Justin Son and freshmen Kaahan Wani (No. 2) and Krish Wani (No. 3) earned straight set victories for the eighth-seeded and host Wolves over their opponents from No. 9 Fort Collins in relatively short order (save a first set tiebreaker for Son), however the teams did lengthy battles in three of the four doubles positions.
Coach Jeff Ryan’s Grandview team — which suffered just one dual match during the regular season and finished as the Centennial League’s second-place team — won two of the three tight matches, which tipped the result to the Wolves’ favor by a 5-2 count.
Updated scoreboard and schedule for Class 5A boys tennis team state tournament, here
The No. 1 doubles team of senior Blake Hardin and junior Carter Benton — who both played singles last season — fought inch by inch against Fort Collins’ Bennett Metz and Callaway Orr for a 7-5, 7-6 (7-5) victory that would have been enough to give Grandview the victory.
On top of that, the No. 2 doubles team of senior Atharv Peroor and freshman Nathan McIsaac regrouped after a lopsided first set loss to the Lambkins’ Henry Melchert and Henry Webb for a 1-6, 7-5, 6-3 victory.
Sophomore Kushal Ninganola and freshman Rithvik Ninganola at No. 3 doubles worked back from a set deficit to force a third set and lost it 10-4 for Grandview, while junior Corbin Thompson and sophomore Andres Salazar fell in straight sets in the No. 4 doubles match.
Seven of the eight host teams were victorious in the opening round — No. 7 Ralston Valley fell victim to No. 10 Arapahoe as the only higher seed to fall — and advanced to the quarterfinals, which are scheduled for Oct. 5.
Grandview will make the short trip down Arapahoe Road for a 10 a.m. match against top-seeded Regis Jesuit, which swept No. 16 Northfield in the opening round.
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter/X: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports
2024 CLASS 5A BOYS TENNIS TEAM STATE TOURNAMENT
First round, Oct. 2 at Grandview High School
(8) GRANDVIEW 5, (9) FORT COLLINS 2
No. 1 singles — Justin Son (Grandview) def. Jake Bronson (Fort Collins), 7-6 (7-4), 6-1; No. 2 singles — Kaahan Wani (Grandview) def. Kincade Crow (Fort Collins), 6-1, 6-2; No. 3 singles — Krish Wani (Grandview) def. Porter Gallegos (Fort Collins), 6-2, 6-1; No. 1 doubles — Blake Hardin/Carter Benton (Grandview) def. Bennett Metz/Callaway Orr (Fort Collins), 7-5, 7-6 (7-5); No. 2 doubles — Atharv Peroor/Nathan McIsaac (Grandview) def. Henry Melchart/Henry Webb (Fort Collins), 1-6, 7-5, 6-3; No. 3 doubles — Jack Gibbs/Jake McGinnis (Fort Collins) def. Kushal Ninganola/Rithvik Ninganola (Grandview), 6-7 (6-8), 6-1, 10-4; No. 4 doubles — Casey Stanford/Miles Kalai (Fort Collins) def. Andres Salazar/Corbin Thompson (Grandview), 6-1, 6-2
