Li keeps Naperville North from shutting out WW South
It was just a case of Jimmy being Jimmy.
Three-time state qualifier Jimmy Li of Wheaton Warrenville South saved the Tigers from a shutout at the hand of conference rival and host Naperville North with a come-from-behind, three-set victory at first singles.
The Huskies won the dual meet 6-1 and remained undefeated at 3-0 atop the DuPage Valley Conference standings. They're 8-2 overall.
Wheaton Warrenville South's overall record is 5-4 and 1-2 in conference.
Li lost the first set 7-5 to Gordon Zhang, whom he had defeated last year in both the conference and sectional finals, and was trailing 3-0 in the second set, when he turned the match completely around.
"I wasn't playing well," Li said. "But my team's support really helped me come back. If I see that I'm playing for the whole team rather than just myself, it means so much more."
Li wasn't making his shots in the first set and beginning of the second set.
"His shots were landing but just a little bit long," said Wheaton Warrenville South coach Patti Clousing. "He just had to adjust a little bit. With all his experience he just stayed calm, fought through it and did what he had to do."
"I focused on keeping my body low and taking small steps," Li said. "I just tried to overpower him."
Zhang, who has defeated Li in USTA competition but never in a high school match, seemed headed for an upset until the turning point in the second set.
"I was playing consistently aggressive and good on defense," Zhang said. "Then Jimmy got pumped up when his teammates started cheering for him. I didn't raise my game enough to overcome his boost of energy. He was attacking with his big forehand. He's pretty fast and he takes every ball on the rise."
Zhang thought he suffered a little letdown when Li's game picked up even more in the third set.
"I could tell he was the same old Jimmy from the first point with his speed and power game," Zhang said. "I know I can play with him, I just have to do it for two sets. Hopefully, that will come in conference and sectional."
"Gordon came out strong but Jimmy found a way back," said Naperville North coach Heather Henricksen. "Gordon was struggling with keeping the ball deep, and Jimmy was taking the ball early and really controlling the point."
Wheaton Warrenville South's first doubles Nick Geannopolous and Noah Thacker had upset on their minds when they topped Naperville North's Reid Mutschler and Elliot Girard 7-6 (7-2) in the first set.
The Huskies duo was leading 3-2 in the second set, when Geannopolous injured his ankle and the match ended in favor of Naperville North by default.
"Reid and Elliot just came out flat," Henricksen said. "The Wheaton Warrenville boys were keeping the ball in play and we were making unforced errors. We seemed to be building our confidence back in the second set when the injury occurred."