Terada, Walters finish in top eight
The Naperville North doubles team of Matt Walters and Yasufumi Terada exceeded even their own high expectations at this weekend's Illinois high school tennis tournament.
The two wanted to make it to the third day, Saturday, which meant they would finish 9-12, but then won another match, their sixth of the tournament Saturday and finished as one of the top eight teams in the state.
The Huskies doubles team defeated Rahul Kamath and Brian Sorich of Downers Grove South 7-5, 6-3 in the consolation bracket before losing to a team from New Trier for the right to advance to the fifth-place match. The duo finished the season with a record of 35-6, and Walters finished his career with 110 victories.
"As the year went on, they kept coming together more as a team," said Naperville North coach Heather Henricksen. "They lifted the level of their game and continued to play smart. How they played in this tournament surpasses anything they did during the season."
"It was a great tournament," Terada said. "My first time at the state tournament and we got to the top eight. A year ago I didn't even know how to volley."
Terada credits his partner Walters for turning him into a doubles player.
Walters qualified for state twice before, last year going to the top 48 with his partner, who graduated.
Right after the season he and Terada, formerly a singles player, teamed up, went for doubles lessons together and entered USTA tournaments to prepare for the coming high school season.
"I hated doubles before," Terada said. "Matt helped me learn how to hit simple volleys, how to be active at the net, put away shots and how to poach. His aggressiveness at the net is better than anyone in state. Nobody is willing to step in for the ball as much as Matt."
"Fumi is a true doubles player now," Walters said. "He has a doubles mindset."
Terada plans to return to state next year again in doubles and he's hoping to partner with a highly ranked player who will enter Naperville North as a freshman next year.
If that happens, he will take Walters' mentoring role and help turn his new partner into a doubles player.
"My whole four years of tennis has been unbelievable," Walters said. "I've grown as a person being on this team. I've experienced everything -- big wins, big losses. I couldn't have asked for anything more. And now this tournament tops everything."
Hinsdale Central needed several results to work in their favor Saturday and everything did to give the Red Devils their 15th state championship under the legendary Jay Kramer and 19th overall, which surpasses New Trier's total of 18 titles.
The Red Devils finished with 37 points. Stevenson was one back with 36 and the Trevians were third with 35.
Hinsdale Central's doubles Dan Ballantine and Ian Tesmond defeated New Trier's James Ong and Kevin Porter, the two who defeated Walters and Terada, 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 for fourth place.
The Red Devils clinched their second straight state title when Ben Woldenberg and Sam Barnett of Highland Park defeated Ross Putterman and David Packowitz of Stevenson 6-1, 6-1 in the doubles final.
Dennis Bogatov of Warren defeated Eric Spector of Glenbrook North 7-6 (5), 7-5 in the singles championship. Hinsdale Central's Augie Bloom finished third.
"This was an incredible performance by our guys," Kramer said. "Everyone had written us off, but we thought we could do it. The draw didn't favor us but we came back and just played."