Northshore netters compete at 4A Kingco tournament
SEATTLE — The singles have gone doubles, and they’re challenging themselves every swing of the way. Sure, things are different, but it’s good to give it a shot.
Inglemoor High’s Trevor Shih and Stefan Bach are living proof that those who succeed on their own can combine forces and make their mark on the same side of the tennis court. Last Thursday, the top Viking duo gutted out a 6-5, 7-5 victory over Redmond’s Ahmed Jafri and Jorel Murray in the 4A Kingco tournament at the University of Washington’s Nordstrom Tennis Center.
On Oct. 26, Shih and Bach defeated Newport’s Edward Sun and Joon Lee in the quarterfinals, 6-2, 6-4, at the Mercer Island Country Club. The Viking duo lost 6-0, 6-0 to Garfield’s Wilson Platt and Matt Cerf Oct. 28 in the semifinals at UW and will next play the No. 2 Garfield team at 8:30 p.m. Oct. 29 for a spot to bi-districts.
“We try to set each partner up … Just keep building and get a good shot in the end,” said Shih after the Redmond match. “I like it how we’re doing well, but I do really miss singles.”
But doubles has its pluses, according to Shih: “(Bach’s) a fun guy. He keeps points not too tense, and he’s always relaxed between points. We try to be focused so we can have fun.”
Bach admits that his concentration takes a hit during doubles matches, and he’s fortunate to have Shih on his side to boost his mental and physical game. When communication is at a premium, their serves and returns are effective.
“We kind of feed off each other and compete at the same level. And if you have a weak shot, you can always get around it,” said Bach, noting that he misses the constant movement of singles tennis, but enjoys the camaraderie of doubles.
And any time you get four guys together on the court, there’s bound to be some entertaining moments. For example, during a break in the action last week, Shih patted Bach on the head and laughed, guessing that Jafri’s habit of bouncing the ball endlessly before serving to Bach was an annoyance.
Interestingly, the serving didn’t bug Bach, he claimed. “I think it helped me. I had more time to think about footwork,” he said.
Shih was doing some bouncing of his own last week by lightly slapping his hand on his knee and grinning while discussing the match. “Winning always puts me in a good mood. I’m definitely not a big fan of losing,” he said.
On the Bothell side, top singles player David Maggs had Newport player Eddie Lin’s number during a 6-4 first-set win, but dropped the next two, 3-6, 2-5, to exit the tournament.
“I guess I just tried to stay up and stay aggressive,” Maggs said. “It felt good to beat him — any win is a good win. I don’t think he was ready for my serve in the beginning. But it kind of got ugly out there at the end.
“I’m only a junior,” he added. “I’ve got another shot at it next year — this is building up to senior year.”
Now that tennis is over, Maggs still has select soccer and basketball on his schedule. He’s currently playing center midfielder on the under-17 Northshore Classic Select squad, which is 5-2 in league; come winter, it’s hoops time.
“I just take it one day at a time,” he said. “The others are team sports, so (tennis) is kind of cool. It’s one (versus) one — you go after each other, it’s a nice change.”
