ITEM PHOTO: KATIE MORRISON
Lynn English singles player Regina Ngaleu won her match, 6-4, 0-6, 10-4, against Lynnfield on Thursday.
By KATIE MORRISON
LYNN — It took a battle, but the Lynn English girls tennis team came away with a 4-1 win over Swampscott at home on Thursday.
The Big Blue (4-2) put together a lineup for the match because six of seven starters, and coach Nina Rogers, were away for school vacation week. Junior varsity players were called on to step it up.
In first singles, it was the battle of the Lilys: Sanphy for Swampscott, and Vu for English. Sanphy is usually a part of the second doubles team. But she was moved up to first singles as the only regular starter at the match for Swampscott.
Sanphy held her own with Vu, but English took the first set, 6-3. In the second set, Sanphy grabbed a 2-1 lead before Vu rallied to win three straight games. Sanphy closed in with a win to bring the score to 4-3. But Vu kicked it into another gear to secure the 6-3 win and match victory.
English (2-2) coach Lauren Mezzetti said she appreciates Vu’s consistency at first singles.
The second singles showdown was the best match of the day. English’s Regina Ngaleu took on Asja Zimmerman, who Swampscott assistant coach Jennifer Cleary said has been working hard, and has the ability to someday be a second doubles. Ngaleu was hot in the first set. But Zimmerman was right on her heels. Down 5-3, Zimmerman returned a ball that was dying fast and put it by Ngaleu to close the gap to 5-4. Ngaleu was able to hang on for a 6-4 win in the first set.
The second set was all Zimmerman. Mezzetti said she’s not sure if the Ngaleu’s lapse stemmed from a nagging shoulder injury during basketball season that flared up, or was just an off set. But Zimmerman breezed through the second set, winning 6-0.
Then the tiebreaker. Fortunately for English, Ngaleu got back to form. With the tiebreaker tied at three, Ngaleu pulled away. She hit a half volley and it fell just over the net that Zimmerman was unable to reach for a 7-3 lead. A deep shot from Ngaleu that landed in the far corner of the court gave her an 8-3 lead. While Zimmerman got a point back, Ngaleu closed out the set with a 10-4 win.
“She’s been playing really well lately,” Mezzetti said of Ngaleu.
At third singles, Jasmin Chhim was dominant for English, beating Swampscott’s Alana Zabak, 6-2, 6-1. An hour into the match, third singles was the only match that had wrapped up, as Chhim made quick work of Zabak.
Chhim is usually a part of the first doubles team. But with Molly Nhiv in Costa Rica, she got the chance to move up.
“She had great placement today,” said Mezzetti, who said that Chhim’s performance at third singles might incite a little healthy competition for the spot. “She was excellent.”
English’s Jennifer Benavides and Victoria Say had no trouble getting past Swampscott’s Claudia Macagregos and Ksenya Yermakova, winning 6-1, 6-4 at first doubles.
Swampscott’s lone victory came in the last match, and the Big Blue had to fight for every point. The four players were relatively inexperienced, with English’s Raymi Ramirez boasting the most varsity time. Her partner, Kim Rodrigues, was playing in her first varsity match. For Swampscott, JV players Lauren McCush and Cate McDonough had their work cut out for them. English won the first set, 6-4. But Swampscott stormed back and forced the second set into a tiebreaker, winning 7-3. The Big Blue’s bounce back didn’t stop there, as McCush and McDonough grabbed the 10-4 tiebreaker victory.
While the Big Blue were down quite a few players, Mezzetti knew that her team couldn’t take them lightly.
“They’ve come in here down players before, and things were different,” she said.
The Bulldogs hope that the win will give them momentum heading into one of their toughest matchups of the year, as they take on Marblehead on Monday.