Raiders go 3-0 in three-set matches, get quality win at West

MEDFORD BOYS TENNIS

At full strength for the first time in the young season, Medford boys tennis team got three big three-set wins and a straight-set victory from Quinton Tlusty at number-one singles to earn a 4-3 road win Tuesday at Wausau West.

The win over the Division 1 squad was Medford’s first of the new season after the Raiders had gone 0-2-1 at the Baldwin-Woodville Quad on April 9. The Raiders had two Great Northern Conference dual meets postponed last week.

The Raiders took three of the four singles matches in Tuesday’s non-conference dual. Tlusty got stronger as his match with Nathan Hartman progressed. He pulled out a 7-5 win in the first set and then took command in set two 6-1 to earn his second win of the season.

Wins by Brayden Balciar and Saskatoon Damm were crucial in getting the team victory.

Balciar, playing at flight two, rebounded from a 6-4 loss to Breton Wayde in the first set dominated after that, winning the next two sets 6-0, 6-2 to go to 4-0. Damm also lost his first set 6-4 to AJ Lipowski in flight three. He had to fight to stay alive in the second set and pushed it to a tiebreaker, which he won 7-4 to take the set 7-6 and force a third set. Damm carried the momentum from set two into set three and clinched the match with a 6-3 win. Damm is 2-0 singles play in the early going.

Brayden Machon and Dante Axon got Medford’s third extended win of the night, taking the number-one doubles match over West’s Evan Scheidler and Ethan Steinbach. The Warriors took the first set 6-4, but Machon and Axon turned things around with 6-3 and 6-3 wins to earn their first win together of 2022.

West’s Fletcher Haggerty and Andrew Straub beat the Raiders’ number-two team of first-year players Brett Lundy and Mason Reimann 6-2, 6-1, while Jack Burger and Evan Lozon swept Medford sophomores Alex Wilson and Nathan Willman 6-0, 6-0 in flight three.

Cole Lozon beat Raider sophomore Conner Klingbeil 6-0, 6-1 at number-four singles.

Medford should finally open GNC play today, Thursday, in a 5 p.m. dual meet at Stevens Point Pacelli. The Raiders will have three GNC meets next week. They’ll host Antigo and Lakeland Tuesday and Thursday before going to Lakeland on April 29 to make up an April 12 postponement. The home meets start at 5 p.m.