BOYS TENNIS: Homestead Blanks Milpitas

The Score: Homestead 7, Milpitas 0

 The Star: Homestead No. 1 singles player Benjamin Low set the tempo for himself and his team from the get-go as he took care of business against Milpitas No. 1 singles player Brian Nguyen, winning in straight sets 6-0, 6-0 during a Tuesday afternoon Santa Clara Valley Athletic League El Camino Division matchup at Homestead High in Cupertino.

 Turning Point: Already ahead one set in the match, Low took advantage of the sunny skies and strong winds against Nguyens’ powerful strokes and tenacious serves as he calmly returned the balls in play forcing Nguyen to make the first mistake. With Low’s game plan intact, he forced multiple unforced errors to grab a firm hold of the match. Low stuck to his game plan and ended the match winning, 6-0. With the No. 1 singles session done, Homestead No. 2 singles player Alex Kao outlasted his Milpitas opponent, Albert Vo ,6-4, 6-1.

 Quotes: “I just tried to stay consistent and keep the ball in—and not play too aggressively and too risky,” said Low on his game plan against Nguyen for the match.

 Homestead’s head coach was pleased with the home teams convincing result.

 “It was a decent and a very competitive match against Milpitas,” said Mustangs head coach Louie Alicea. “Low played very consistent and pretty much took control from the start laying the groundwork for the rest of our team. Benjamin Low is one of the top singles players in El Camino play."

 “Poorly warmed up,” said Trojans Nguyen in regards to his poor play against Low. “Basically a very off-day for me.”

 Even though Nguyen’s game was off, he did show signs of what a number 1 singles player should be with a number of forehands winners down the line and net finishes.

 “Today was not our day—we just didn’t play well,” said Trojans Head Coach Bill Conley. “Homestead was very solid right down the line and played us very well. The matches were competitive and we got some good wins but not enough to win the sets. And that’s we’re we fell short.”

With this win, Homestead sweeps the regular season against Milpitas, 2-0.

 What’s Next: Homestead (7-3, 6-3, ECL) hopes to build on their winning streak and climb the rankings in El Camino play as they travel to Wilcox on Thursday (April 7th). As for Milpitas (8-7, 6-5 ECL), they have a week off before they travel to Mountain View on Tuesday (April 19th).

 Bottom Line: If Homestead wins against Wilcox on Thursday (Apr. 7th), they’ll have a chance to make some noise in El Camino as they currently sit in third behind Cupertino and Mountain View.They will face both teams in the next few weeks.

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Singles #1

 Homestead- Benjamin Low       ----------- (6-1, 6-0)

Milpitas- Brian Nguyen  

 Singles #2 

Homestead- Alex Kao           --------------- (6- 4, 6-1)

Milpitas- Albert Vo

 Doubles # 1

 Homestead- Goji Miyao/ Tom Kim    -------------- (6-4, 4-6, (10-4) Tiebreak

Milpitas-     Steven Thanh/ Vince Ly