Lundberg helps Niles beat Lakeshore
Published 8:14 pm Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Niles’ Rob Lundberg went three sets to defeat Lakeshore’s Nick Orlando to give the Vikings a 5-3 victory over the Lancers Wednesday. (Leader photo/SCOTT NOVAK)
It all came down to one match Wednesday.
With the other seven flights completed and host Niles clinging to a 4-3 lead over arch rival Lakeshore, first-year varsity player Rob Lundberg was in the spotlight.
His No. 3 singles match against Nick Orlando had gone into a third set and he was down 3-1.
After rallying to tie the match at 3-3 and taking a 4-3 lead on Orlando, Vikings’ coach Jill Weber went over and told him if he wins, the team would win.
Lundberg was ready for the challenge.
“Rob wanted to know that it came down to his match and if he won, we won and if we lost we tied,” Weber said. “He looked at me and said ‘it’s go time.’ I’m very proud of him. He stayed in the points all the way through even when they would win a game he was still saying ‘I got this coach, I got this.’”
After winning the first set 6-3, Orlando rallied to claim the second set 6-2. He raced out to a 3-1 advantage in the third and deciding set before Lundberg won five consecutive games to pick up the victory.
In the first game of the third set, Orlando won a long deuce game. Lundberg never lost confidence.
“I figured I could come back from it,” he said. “I just had to get my head back in the game. Once I came back from being down, I figured I’m kind of on a streak so I should just go for it. I got a little more aggressive and pulled it together.”
Another very close match came at No. 1 doubles where Brad Miller after leading 5-2 in the opening set, found himself tied at 5-5 with Samir Shah. Miller won the final two games of the set and then went on to win the second set by the same score.
Miller was down most of the second set, but finally was able to battle back, tie Shah and then win the final two games.
Lakeshore…3
Niles…5
Singles
1. Brad Miller (N) d. Samir Shah 7-5, 7-5; 2. Alec Brown (L) d. Nick Zeigert 6-2, 6-2; 3. Michael Geiger (N) d. Bennett McKey 6-3, 6-3; 4. Rob Lundberg (N) d. Nick Orlando 6-3, 2-6, 6-4
Doubles
1. Alec Brown-Matt Miller (N) d. Brett Phillips-Alex Wong 6-1, 6-0; 2. Gevanta Nichols-Brent McGowan (N) d. Jacob Brewer-ZachMcCallister 6-0, 6-4; 3. Ravi Shah-Evan Scieszka (L) d. 6-3, 6-4; 4. Curtis Elliot-Adrien Beaufils (L) d. Derek Brown-Isaac Rosenthal 6-4, 7-6
