Mixed doubles tennis tournament serves success

BY SAMIYA ANWAR

For Lynbrook tennis, the girls and boys teams typically do not intertwine, with the girls season in the fall and the boys season in the spring. As the boys season commenced, Head Coach Albert Poon organized Lynbrook’s first ever mixed doubles tournament to end the year on a high note. The tournament incorporated a fundraising event in which all donations went to Lynbrook’s Lexe program.

“I tried to think of something to relax the players after months of hard work,” Poon said.

Mixed doubles, in which each team consists of one male and one female player, is commonly played in many tennis clubs, but rarely seen in high school.

“I was really excited to play in the tournament,” senior Akhil Saboo said. “It was a new opportunity for the boys team to get to know the girls team. It was also fulfilling because the proceeds went to charity.”

This tournament was a relaxed environment where participants played for enjoyment and to raise money for the school.

Spectators were able to donate two dollars each to “handicap” a team — for instance, have them play with their non-dominant hand for the remainder of the game.

“A big challenge we had in the past with spectators coming to our games is making them stay engaged because tennis can be difficult to understand for people new to the game,” said senior Agnik Banerjee, who came up with the idea of “handicapping” players. “We wanted to make our matches interactive, and the handicap idea accomplished that goal and also made spectators contribute to their favorite players’ success.”

In anticipation of the tournament, excitement brewed but concerns also rose. One of the main concerns leading up to the matches was a lack of chemistry between partners. Usually, doubles partners play with their partner all year, and over time, players are able to build chemistry and learn each other’s playing style. In this case, partners only had a few days to build chemistry. When playing tennis, it is vital to be in sync and communicative with your partner.

“My partner Edward was very positive and motivating which helped us focus on every point,” said senior Jamie Tan. “I feel inspired by him to bring the same enthusiasm to create an uplifting environment.”

Spectators were not only excited to watch tennis, but also to participate in the charity event.

“It was really entertaining watching my friends handle the handicaps,” junior

Harsha Kadiyala said. “I donated money to make them play on one leg — it was really funny.”

The pairs played to their best abilities.

Sophomores Steven Liu and Kylie Liao emerged undefeated at first place for the final match.

“I have no doubt that we will continue organizing more tournaments like this in the future, and I can’t wait to play again next year,” Liao said.