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Senior Livia Klompus “donuts” her singles opponent, winning 6-0, 6-0.

The strong gusts of wind blowing onto the Redwood tennis courts made it unclear who would be the bigger competitor: Mother Nature or Archie Williams. On Sept. 11th at 4:00 p.m., girls’ varsity tennis hosted the Falcons for their fourth home game of the season. The match began with the Giants performing their traditional pre-game cheer and ultimately ended with a 6-1 Redwood victory.
The additional challenge of wind at this match was unexpected, but did not deter the Giants.
“I feel like the wind was very uncontrollable. It was a very windy day compared to other days, [and beyond] other practices, so we were not expecting it,” senior captain Audrey Markovich said.
To perform at their standards, Giants players were forced to alter their normal strategies and observe the weather.
“[We] paid attention to the direction of the winds blowing and aimed our shots towards the center of the court so they don’t go out. [We also] hit it harder and [lower].” Markovich said.
Although the season is still young, many of the girls were in midseason form; the Golden State Classic, a doubles tournament in San Jose, forced them to play in different pairings and strengthen their team strategies.
Senior captain Julia Laury, and partner freshman Alessia Balliet swept the Falcons, winning 6-1 in the first set, and 6-0 in the second. Even though Laury doesn’t usually play doubles, she says everyone on the team has tips to make sure all players feel comfortable out on the courts.
“I don’t play doubles that often, so it was something different, [but] it was good,” Laury said. “Talking to your partner helps a lot, because usually they’ll give you motivation, or give you some advice.”
Markovich felt the same, believing that an optimistic attitude and supportive partner are essential.
“I try to stay positive and upbeat no matter what happens during the points, and I hope that my partner supports me as well,” Markovich said.
However, when playing singles, players don’t always have a partner to rely on. Junior Sienna Rouas relies on a determined mindset to play at the best of her ability.
“[When I’m playing] I tell myself that I’m a better player than how I’m playing in the moment. And I know it’s not a skill issue, it’s a mental issue,” Rouas says.
Both Markovich and Rouas agree that this year’s team is very talented, with a deep bench of upper and underclassmen. They hope to ride their talented leaders and strong depth to a successful season. The girl’s next match will be on September 13th, at 4:00 p.m. away at Novato.