KENNEBUNK ”“ Every eye was on Charlie Merry, and the Kennebunk junior felt them all.
Not that the Rams’ top singles player was ever in trouble during his match with Thornton Academy’s Kent Dao.
Still, the fate of his squad, undefeated and top seed in Western Class A, rested in his hands, what with Kennebunk and the No. 8 seed Golden Trojans having already split the other four matches in their regional quarterfinal.
Merry proceeded to put Kennebunk over the top with a straight sets win, 6-1, 6-3.
“It was a lot closer than the score indicated,” said Merry. “There were a lot of pressure points since we were the only ones playing.”
The teams were tied 2-2 after taking a win apiece in the singles and doubles matches.
Thornton’s Tyler Gaylord had downed the Rams’ No. 2 player Alec Sandmire (6-3, 6-1) and Kennebunk’s No. 3 man, Josh Behrens had taken down Hans Lu (6-1, 6-2).
A bigger surprise came in the first doubles, when Kennebunk’s unbeaten duo of Christian Elkington and Sam Hickson were ambushed by Thornton’s Ryan Locke and Neal Stewart (4-6, 6-1, 6-3).
“It was about staying positive, mostly,” said Locke. “Tennis is a mental game. If you get down on yourself, you get down for the whole match. Basically we kept it together.”
Locke admitted that he and Stewart were a little awed by their opponent’s unblemished record, but only for a while.
“It was in the back of our heads,” Locke said. “But we knew we could stay with them in the first set.
In the second doubles, Kennebunk’s Matt Peason and Nat Skillin dispatched Alex Lambert and Justin Pollard (6-3, 7-5).
That left it to Merry and Dao to battle it out.
Merry, who won nine of his 12 regular season matches, said he was determined to stick with the approach that served him well all year.
“I really tried to stay within myself,” Merry said. “Stay focused, and try to get the critical points, that would win the set.”
Merry said that he sensed that his game was working when he was able to capture the first set.
His confidence grew from then on, even as Dao was finding his second wind.
“It got to 5-3,” said Merry, “and once I won that fifth game, I couldn’t (start) relaxing. I couldn’t take my foot off the gas.”
The Rams advanced to host the winner of No. 4 Windham and No. 5 Marshwood, in a semifinal clash, Monday.
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