Choate Wild Boars Tennis

DATE	OPPONENT	SITE	TIME	SCORES
DATE	OPPONENT	SITE	TIME	CHOATE	OPPONENT
3-8-99 through 3-14-99	Spring Break Trip to California	Indian Wells, CA	Team members trained at the Hyatt Grand Champions Resort during the week of the Newsweek Champions Cup and Evert Cup professional tournaments.
4-7-99	Loomis Chaffee School	Windsor, CT	2:30	3	6
WINDSOR, CT--In their first outing of the 1999 season, the Wild Boars dropped a close contest to the Loomis Chaffee Pelicans. The inexperience of this year's squad in varsity competition seemed to produce some early season jitters, resulting in subpar singles play throughout the line-up (with the notable exception of Charles Pasarell '99, who exhibited fine form in a straight-sets win at #2). Fifth former Stephen Fair rallied to produce a very tight win in three sets at fourth singles to keep Choate's hopes alive. Down unexpectedly by a 2-4 deficit, the squad needed to sweep the doubles to win the match. The tandem of co-captains Justin Karush and Pasarell at #1 doubles dispatched their opponents handily, but in spite of very strong starts by the two other pairs, Loomis clinched the victory after saving two match points and prevailing in a third-set tiebreaker at #3 doubles. With the team result decided, the Choate #2 doubles players lost the form that had allowed them to dictate play in the early stages of their match. Click here for individual match details. "Surely this was a disappointment for us," according to coach Ned Gallagher. "We're accustomed to dominating our Founders League opponents, but it just wasn't to be today. We'll be eager for a better showing at the upcoming KITT."
4-10-99	Kingswood-Oxford Invitational Tennis Tournament	West Hartford, CT	8:45	Choate finished 3rd of 8 teams.
4-11-99	Kingswood-Oxford Invitational Tennis Tournament	West Hartford, CT	8:45	Choate finished 3rd of 8 teams.
WEST HARTFORD, CT--The Wild Boars finished in third place in a field consisting of Choate, Conard High School (West Hartford), Deerfield Academy, Hall High School (West Hartford), Hotchkiss School, Kingswood-Oxford School, Lawrenceville School, and Taft School. Charles Pasarell '99 and Stephen Fair '00 earned third place honors in the #2 and #4 singles draws, while Justin Karush '99 and Doug Chang '99 won the consolation brackets of the #1 and #3 flights, respectively. In doubles play, the Fair/Karush combination finished in fifth place in the #1 draw and Chang and Stefan Patrikis '02 captured fourth place at second doubles. Click here for individual match details. Coach Gallagher was pleased with the efforts of his squad over the weekend: "We see this early season tournament just as a chance to get some good match play under our belts and scope out our traditional rivals. I don't get too concerned with wins and losses at this point. When we end up as one of the top teams, though, that's a nice bonus. What's most important is that we now have a better sense of what we're doing well and what we need to work on, so as we head into the heart of the dual match season, hopefully this experience will be advantageous."
4-14-99	Northfield Mount Hermon School	CRH	3:30	4	5
WALLINGFORD, CT--Choate's match-up against NMH resulted in a competitive contest in which the visitors prevailed narrowly. The Hoggers put themselves in position to contend against the usually stronger Choate squad by sweeping the doubles pro-sets, which were played first. Atypically in this format, the pro-sets were each counted as a full point, a factor which would benefit the NMH team enormously. Choate co-captains Justin Karush and Charles Pasarell posted impressive three-set singles wins at #1 and #2 and Stephen Fair and Stefan Patrikis cruised at #4 and #5 to keep the overall match score close. After Doug Chang lost to a strong #3 opponent, the match came down to the third set of Jeremy Van Fleet's showdown at #6, and it turned out that the Hogger was the better player on this day. Click here for individual match details. Coach Gallagher's observations: "It's tantalizing to come out on the wrong end of a close dual match once again, but our poor play in doubles was just too costly. On the other hand, there were encouraging signs in our singles competition, particularly Justin's tremendous play in the #1 singles match. We'll keep at it as a team and things should start turning our way soon!"
4-19-99	Cheshire Academy	Cheshire, CT	3:30	3	4
CHESHIRE, CT--For the third time in as many attempts, the Wild Boars were nipped in a close dual match. In spite of winning the doubles point by virtue of our superior depth in the #2 and #3 ranks, the Blue and Gold could muster only two of the six singles matches that followed. A very sick Doug Chang performed heroically in the second doubles match, hanging tough in spite of obvious pain and fatigue, but was in no condition to play singles. The absence of Chang turned out to be costly, as the swing matches were played at #3 and #4 singles and Choate had to have its players "play up" a slot. "It's easy to imagine this one as a 4-3 or 5-2 win had we been at full strength, but that's the nature of sports and Cheshire did what they had to in order to post the win, so full credit to their squad," observed coach Ned Gallagher. Click here for individual match details. The Choate team will attempt to get a mark in the "W" column when it hosts Trinity-Pawling on Wednesday.
4-21-99	Trinity-Pawling School	CRH	3:00	7	2
WALLINGFORD, CT--Choate earned a solid 5-1 lead in the singles to clinch the victory over League rival Trinity-Pawling. Charles Pasarell '99, Doug Chang '99, Stephen Fair '00, Stefan Patrikis '02, and Jeremy Van Fleet '01 all posted wins, while teammate Justin Karush '99 lost a tight three-set match at #1. Choate dominated the first and third doubles contests, while the #2 tandem dropped their point to the visitors in a match that featured three tiebreakers. Click here for individual match details.
4-28-99	Brunswick School	CRH	4:00	7	0
WALLINGFORD, CT--Choate swept the doubles to start the match and finished the day with a perfect mark against the Bruins, dropping only one set in the process. "We put some good tennis together today, so I hope the guys will have some confidence heading into a stretch of five matches in eight days beginning this Saturday," observed coach Ned Gallagher. Click here for individual match details.
5-1-99	Deerfield Academy	CRH	3:15	1	7
WALLINGFORD, CT--The Big Green took all six of the singles matches to clinch the win at the Hunt Tennis Center. At #4 and #5 singles, Stephen Fair '00 and Stefan Patrikis '02 each battled hard to extend their opponents to three sets but could not nail down victories. Click here for individual match details. The schools split the two doubles pro-sets played, Deerfield winning at #1 by a 9-7 margin and Choate rallying for an 11-9 tiebreaker win at #3. The #2 doubles was abandoned once the team result was decided.
5-3-99	Westminster School	CRH	4:00	7	2
WALLINGFORD, CT--In spite of an intermittent slow drizzle during the singles play, the Wild Boars were able to secure five victories in the first round of matches to clinch the win over League rival Westminster. Click here for individual match details. Stephen Fair '00 was especially effective, posting a 6-0, 6-0 result before some of his teammates were halfway throught the first set! In the doubles pro-sets that followed, Choate took the top two matches convincingly, while the Martlets prevailed at the #3 position.
5-5-99	Kent School	CRH	3:15	8	1
WALLINGFORD, CT--Choate took five of the six singles contests to clinch the win early against the Fighting Episcopalians. Click here for individual match details. In what must have been record time, Steve Fair '00 notched a 6-0, 6-0 win for the second consecutive match. The Wild Boars swept the doubles with some savvy teamwork to complete the day's play.
5-6-99	Kingswood-Oxford School	West Hartford, CT	3:15	6	3
WEST HARTFORD, CT--In a tightly contested four-hour match, Choate earned four of the six singles and two of the three doubles to end up on top of this Founders League contest. Though underformers Stefan Patrikis and Jeremy Van Fleet earned quick victories on the outdoor courts at #5 and #6 singles, the four matches played indoors started very slowly for the Wild Boars, as the Wyverns captured the first set in all four match-ups. At #2 Charles Pasarell rebounded to win by convincing margins in the second and third sets. And #4 Steve Fair prevailed in a second-set tiebreaker and then coasted in the third set to give Choate a crucial lead heading into the doubles.The pairs from both schools fought hard, and all three matches were decided in three sets. Choate clinched the win at #3 doubles, as the Fair/Van Fleet combination pummeled their opponents in a 6-1 third set. Click here for individual match details. Coach Ned Gallagher's report: "We can always count on a tough match from K-O, especially on their own courts, and this season was no exception. We're pleased to come out of this long afternoon match with a win."
5-8-99	Phillips Academy	Andover, MA	3:30	2	7
ANDOVER, MA--A week filled with League matches, a long trip following Saturday classes, inclement weather, and a solid Andover squad all seemed to conspire to keep the Choate team from playing the fine tennis it had displayed in its three matches earlier in the week. The Wild Boars had trouble getting into gear in the doubles pro-sets that opened the match and ended up dropping all three contests unexpectedly. The squad's efforts to turn things around in the singles was derailed by a rainstorm that forced play to be abbreviated and played inside Andover's cage, which had only two (very fast) courts. Although Steven Fair and Stefan Patrikis posted wins, Charles Pasarell retired at #2 with a minor injury, which meant Andover needed but one more match to secure the victory. Both Justin Karush and Doug Chang lost tight contests (Karush 5-7 in the second and Chang a 6-8 pro-set) while Jeremy Van Fleet's excellent comeback efforts indoors turned out to be too little, too late. Click here for individual match details. "Our two teams should have played a closer match than this score reflects," observed coach Ned Gallagher. "The Andover boys played well, though, and did what they had to in order to keep us off balance."
5-12-99	Hotchkiss School	CRH	3:00	3	4
WALLINGFORD, CT--The Wild Boars had ambitions to spoil Hotchkiss' undefeated season and keep themselves in contention for a third consecutive Founders League title, but when the dust settled, the Bearcats narrowly escaped with a 4-3 victory. The #1 doubles pairing of Karush and Pasarell took it to their Hotchkiss counterparts with an impressive 8-4 win to set the tone for the contest. The swing match of the day was probably third doubles: although the Wild Boars had two break points for a 7-6 lead in the pro-set, Hotchkiss was able to hold serve, break the very next game, and thus win the critical doubles point. That would turn out to be decisive, as the two teams split the six singles matches three apiece. In his varsity debut, James Ellsworth '01--pinch hitting for an ailing Jeremy Van Fleet at #6--dug his way out of a 1-6, 2-5 hole, saving four match points and forcing a third set before dropping the match to a tough Hotchkiss opponent. Charles Pasarell, Stephen Fair, and Stefan Patrikis posted wins at #2, #4, and #5, respectively. Co-captain Justin Karush battled bravely in a 4-6, 5-7 loss to the Bearcat #1. Click here for individual match details. "We pulled the rabbit out of the hat in winning the League title against the odds each of the past two seasons, and we knew a win today would be essential to our title ambitions in 1999. Although we got tantalizingly close in this match, we couldn't quite nail down the victory. We played well enough to give this strong Hotchkiss team its tightest match of the season, though, and I am proud of how well the guys competed," reported coach Ned Gallagher.
5-15-99 5-16-99	New England Prep School Class "A" Team Championships	CRH	9:00	Choate lost in the quarterfinal round to Loomis Chaffee, 3-4.
WALLINGFORD, CT--The Wild Boars lost a 3-4 heartbreaker to the Pelicans in the first round of the inaugural New England team tournament. Click here for individual match details. Coach Ned Gallagher's report: "We didn't take advantage of the chance to establish a lead in the doubles and that turned out to cost us heavily. We also lost close matches at #2 and #5 where we could well have come out on top. Loomis was better this day, though. It was a long and dramatic match--one of the two best in the tournament, along with the Groton-Milton showdown in the Class B final."
5-16-99	Choate Alumni	CRH	9:30	Informal singles and doubles matches with Choate alumni.
5-17-99	Taft School	CRH	3:30	4	3
WALLINGFORD, CT--The Choate squad started slowly, conceding the doubles point to the Rhinos with losses at the #1 and #3 positions, but the strength at the heart of the Wild Boars' singles line-up carried the day for the home team, as Choate posted victories at #2 through #5 singles fairly convincingly. Co-captain Charles Pasarell '99, Doug Chang '99, Stephen Fair '01, and Stefan Patrikis '02 all won in straight sets. Senior co-captain Justin Karush was outclassed by Taft star Tyne Brownlow '99 at #1, while James Elsworth '01 lost a tight three-set contest at the end of the afternoon to allow the visitors the last gasp of glory in the gloaming. Click here for individual match details. "The sloppiness in the doubles aside, this was an effective performance by the Choate team today," observed coach Ned Gallagher. "The guys never let their opponents get any momentum in the singles matches we won."
5-20-99	Avon Old Farms School	Avon, CT	3:45	1	5
AVON, CT--The Choate dual meet season ended with a whimper, not a bang, as the Winged Beavers upset Choate on the Avon courts. In doubles play, Choate pairs posted pro-set wins at #1 and #3 to secure the one point at stake in the first stage of the contest. Avon opponents played very well at #1 and #3 singles against Charles Pasarell '99 and Doug Chang '99, earning points for the Winged Beavers with straight-set wins. Justin Karush '99 lost a tight three-set contest at #2, but conducted himself admirably in the face of some unnecessary adversity. Given the Choate squad's depth, the swing match was clearly #4 singles, where Choate's Steve Fair '00 pushed Avon #1 Nate Gaudreau (who was playing out of the top position the only time this season!) to three sets before falling 4-6 in the third. At #5 and #6, Stefan Patrikis '02 and James Elsworth '01 levelled their contests by winning second sets convincingly before their matches were abbreviated or abandoned due to the lateness of the hour. Click here for individual match details. "This wasn't a pretty match in many ways and we were disappointed to lose our final team outing," said coach Ned Gallagher. "I was proud of how well the Choate kids kept their cool, however; they behaved with a lot of class, given the circumstances."
5-22-99	New England Prep School Invitational Tennis Tournament (invited players and doubles teams)	CRH	9:00	Justin Karush and Charles Pasarell finished in 3rd place in the doubles competition.
WALLINGFORD, CT--Sixth formers and co-captains Justin Karush and Charles Pasarell completed their Choate Tennis careers in fine form by capturing third-place honors in the 1999 NEPSITT. The pair began the day with a hard-earned 10-8 win over the top team from Avon Old Farms School. In the main draw semifinal, the Wild Boars tandem were defeated 6-3, 6-4 by the second-seeded team from Moses Brown that eventually won the tournament (by erasing 2-5 deficits in both the second and third sets against Andover in the final!). In the third-place playoff, the Karush/Pasarell team rebounded from a 2-6 score, rattling off the last six games to post an 8-6 win in the pro-set. Click here for individual match details. Coach Gallagher's comments: "This was a satisfying way for two classy Choate players to wrap up their playing days here. I was pleased they finished their Choate careers with a win on their favorite court against a strong team that had defeated them in a tight match two weeks earlier."
5-24-99 through 5-30-99	Upshur Moorhead Tournament	CRH	afternoons	All-School Tennis Championships.
5-30-99	Hall of Fame Day	Newport, RI	10:00	Choate team event at the Newport Casino.

BOYS TENNIS

Varsity Team
Match Results

Junior Varsity Team
Match Results

Thirds Team
Match Results

BOYS TENNIS

Varsity Team Match Results

Junior Varsity Team Match Results

Thirds Team Match Results

Varsity Team
Match Results

Junior Varsity Team
Match Results

Thirds Team
Match Results