The Lower Merion High School boys’ tennis team captured its fourth consecutive District 1 3A tournament championship, rallying past a tough Conestoga squad 3-0 in the championship final Tuesday.
This marks the first time in more than a decade that a squad has won four straight District 1 3A boys tennis team championships.
The Aces won a thriller that saw all but one match go to a third set. At third singles, LM junior Charlie Bittinger was the first to finish with a decisive 6-2, 6-2 win against Conestoga’s Voyin Markovic.
At second singles, Lower Merion sophomore Nathan Dolgushev pushed the Aces’ lead to 2-0 with a hard-fought 2-6, 6-2, 6-1 win over Conestoga’s Rohan Rao.
At second doubles, the Lower Merion duo of junior Devon Christini and sophomore Nathaniel Gao clinched the district title with a 6-3, 0-6, 6-4 win over Conestoga’s Raphael Lubiniecki and Derek Qin. The Lower Merion dup trailed 4-3 in the third set but came back to win.
At the time of stoppage, at first singles, Lower Merion’s Brian Yi, and Conestoga’s Ethan Sun were on serve, 6-3, 5-7, 1-2 and at first doubles, Lower Merion’s Hayden Massotti and Noah Sicouri were leading Conestoga’s Basil Lubiniecki and Francis Qin 6-7 (9), 6-1, 2-0.
The Aces advance to the PIAA 3A state team tournament, where they will begin play next Tuesday.
