Fort Mill avoids shutout, but Nation Ford slams Jackets all over the court

The Nation Ford boys tennis team took the lead in Region IV with a 5-1 win over rivals Fort Mill.

Nation Ford beat Fort Mill in straight sets in all but one match as they improved to 5-0 on the season in the region. The Jackets are now 6-1 on the year.

Leading the way for the Falcons was No. 1 singles Garrett May, who won 6-1, 6-4 over Fort Mill’s Zach Dodson. Nation Ford’s No. 2 Thomas Welch beat Josh Hall 6-4, 6-3 and the Falcons’ No. 3 Ian Drane beat Trey Robertson 6-1, 6-2.

Nation Ford continued its winning ways at No. 4 singles with Max Kell beating Charlie Lynch 6-4, 6-1. Fort Mill’s only victory in the match came at Matt Sanford won at No. 5 singles beating Anish Kanthamneri 4-6, 7-5, 11-9.

In the only doubles match, the Falcons’ No. 2 doubles team of Shiv Patel and Gage Fenbert beat Wade Havnaer and Taylor Bogucki 7-5, 6-4.

Nation Ford also handled Clover later in the week rather easily winning 6-0 with only one of the matches going to three sets. Winning for the Falcons were May at No. 1 singles, 6-4, 6-2, Welch 5-7, 6-2, 10-4 at No. 2 singles, Drane at No. 3 singles 6-0, 6-2 and Kell at No. 4 singles 6-2, 6-3. Also winning at No. 5 singles was Kanthamneri 6-1, 6-1. Winning in doubles was Patel and Fenbert 6-2, 6-3.

Later in the week, Fort Mill bounced back to pick up a win over Northwestern 6-0. Winning for the Jackets against Northwestern was Dodson 6-0, 6-1 at No. 1 singles, Robertson 6-0, 6-2 at No. 2 singles, Lynch 6-2, 6-0 at No. 3 singles and Sanford 6-1, 6-2 at No. 4 singles. Also picking up a win for Fort Mill at No. 5 singles was Stephen Murri 6-0, 6-0 and in No. 2 doubles Bogucki and Ethan Barger teamed up to win 6-2, 6-0.

Fort Mill is on spring break and comes out of it with a road match at Marvin Ridge April 9 and then will host Clover at home April 10 and South Pointe at home April 11. Nation Ford comes back after spring break with a match at Rock Hill April 10 and then host Charlotte Catholic April 11 and Northwestern April 12 at home.

This story was originally published April 2, 2018 at 10:44 AM with the headline "Fort Mill avoids shutout, but Nation Ford slams Jackets all over the court."