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05/22/2017 12:00 AMThe Old Saybrook girls’ tennis team finished off another successful regular season by recording three victories for a record of 17-3. The Rams defeated North Branford 7-0 on May 15, edged Cromwell by a 4-3 score two days later, and then swept Portland 7-0 on May 19. Now, after posting the second-best record in the Shoreline Conference, Old Saybrook is preparing to compete in the Class S State Tournament. Head Coach Ruthanne Rothman feels optimistic that her team can make a push in states.
“Mainly, I know my singles lineup is the strongest singles lineup by far,” said Coach Rothman. “With [senior captain Rosie Rothman] at the top, and being able to count on 2, 3, and 4 to be guaranteed points, I have the best out there.”
Junior Tanya Gianitsos owns an 18-2 record playing No. 2 singles this year, while senior captains Erin Stangel and Isabella Luciani are both 20-0 at the No. 3 and No. 4 spots, respectively. Old Saybrook is typically in great shape if it can get a win from Rosie Rothman or any of its three doubles teams, and that’s exactly what it came down to in the Rams’ 4-3 home victory against Cromwell. Gianitsos (6-3, 6-0), Stangel (6-2, 6-3), and Luciani (6-3, 6-2) were all victorious for the Rams, whose junior duo of Emma Rogan and Ariana Jiang won 6-1, 6-0 at No. 3 doubles to seal the victory. In other action, Rothman took a 6-4, 6-4 loss at No. 1 singles, the No. 1 doubles team of senior Lucy Marinelli and junior Sam Fucci took a 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 defeat, and the No. 2 tandem of senior Jill Hirst and sophomore Amy Young lost 6-0, 6-1 at No. 2.
The result of this match echoed Old Saybrook’s 4-3 win versus Cromwell on May 2 and that was also decided by the No. 3 doubles match.
“While we were really hoping to win the third set at No. 1 doubles, our No. 3 doubles team went on the court and beat their opponents very quickly, giving up only one game in two sets,” Coach Rothman said. “These were the same opponents that they went three sets in our first matchup with Cromwell to win that match for Old Saybrook.”
The Rams’ other matches on the week were not as dramatic. However, Old Saybrook’s 7-0 home win against Portland was still exciting as it was Senior Night and the Rams honored their seven seniors, who are captains Rosie Rothman, Stangel, and Luciani, along with Samantha Aimone, Victoria Brodeur, Hirst, and Marinelli. Rothman (6-2, 6-2); Gianitsos (6-0, 6-0); Stangel (6-0, 6-0); and Luciani (6-3, 6-0) won their singles matches for the Rams. On the doubles court, Marinelli and Fucci won 6-1, 6-0; Hirst and Young claimed a 6-0, 6-0 victory; and Rogan and Jiang won 6-2, 6-1.
Starting off the week, the Rams recorded a 7-0 victory over North Branford. In singles, Rothman won 1-6, 6-4, 6-2; Gianitsos won 6-3, 6-2; Stangel prevailed 1-6, 6-1, 6-3; and Luciani won 6-2, 7-5. As for the doubles matchups, Marinelli and Fucci (4-6, 6-1, 6-2); Hirst and Young (6-2, 6-0); and Rogan and Jiang (6-2, 6-3) were all victorious for Old Saybrook.
With its regular season complete, next up for Old Saybrook is the Shoreline Conference Singles and Doubles tournaments. Last year, Stangel was the champion of the conference’s 3-4 singles bracket. Coach Rothman and her squad are looking ahead at how they will match up.
“In the 1-2 tournament at Shorelines, Rosie is probably in the top five players. She has a good chance to go deep depending on the draw and where she ends up being seeded,” Coach Rothman said. “Tanya is one of the strongest 2s out there. The 3-4 will be tough. Erin should be seeded again and, even though Isabella is a No. 4, I think she will be seeded, as well. They may end up facing each other in the finals.”
After that, Old Saybrook will compete in the Class S State Tournament, which begins on Saturday, May 27.
“You know, we are really impressive, but Stonington and Weston, they are very strong teams,” said Coach Rothman about the Class S circuit. “So I don’t know. It depends on how the draw falls if we can get past them and into quarterfinals and the semis.”
Rothman added that the Rams may wind up facing a familiar opponent in states with a possible showdown against Shoreline Conference champion Westbrook.
“At the beginning of the season, I said that we had as a good of a shot as anybody at the conference champs. We knew that couldn’t happen when we lost the second time to Westbrook, but both times we faced them, it came down to some three-setters that could have gone either way,” she said. “There’s a good shot that we meet them in the state tourney.”
Rothman concluded by saying that she’s happy that she gets to coach a squad that’s jelled together nicely this spring behind a bunch of athletes who always put their team first.
“They’re a really close group of girls,” said Coach Rothman. “They’re all really different from each other off the court. But no one’s out for themselves. They’re really out there for each other.”
From the Sidelines
Senior captain Rosie Rothman and junior Tanya Gianitsos have both qualified for the State Open Singles Tournament for the second year in a row. The Open begins on Saturday, June 3.
Old Saybrook’s wins this season have come against Morgan (7-0, 6-1); Coginchaug (6-0, 4-3); Haddam-Killingworth (6-1, 6-1); East Hampton (7-0, 7-0); Old Lyme (4-3); North Branford (7-0, 7-0); Portland (7-0, 7-0); Cromwell (4-3, 4-3); and Valley Regional (4-3, 4-3).
The Class S State Tournament begins on Saturday, May 27 and concludes on Thursday, June 1.