Combo breaker: Fairfield’s Flanagan, Hannes to state doubles

FAIRFIELD — As the semifinal round came to a close at Monday’s district tennis meet in Fairfield, Cedar Rapids Xavier had already locked up three of the four state tournament spots up for grabs. Fairfield’s Garrett Flanagan and Jace Hannes refused to give the Saints the fourth.

Flanagan and Hannes battled tooth and nail with Xavier’s Trenton Link and Ryan Schmit. The Trojans grinded out a three-set win (7-5, 2-6, 12-10) to earn their first trip ever to the state tournament.

“They don’t expect Fairfield to win,” said Flanagan. “Xavier has been winning state for the past few years, so everybody started cheering for us.”

Indeed, everyone was cheering for the Trojans. With the bleachers filled up with Fairfield fans and Southeast Conference rivals all cheering the Trojans on, the most intense match of the day went right down to the wire.

Fairfield had its low points. After the Saints tied the match up with a second-set victory, Xavier built a two-point lead in the 10-point tiebreaker, but when their backs were against the wall, Flanagan and Hannes stood tall.

It was the Trojans’ second tiebreaker win of the day. Flanagan and Hannes nipped Maharishi’s Dominic Dupoux and Jay Wegman 3-6, 6-4, 10-7 in the opening round before sweeping Luke Thomas and Brendon Worster 6-0, 6-2 in the quarterfinals.

“We were taking it like the 10-point tiebreaker earlier today,” Flanagan said. “Just one point at a time.”

After rallying back to take a 9-8 lead, the Trojans failed on two-straight attempts to end the game on match-point, but Flanagan and Hannes kept each other calm for the all important last two points.

“The second you realize your partner is starting to lose track of what’s the bigger picture, that’s when you’ve got to be like, ‘it happens.’” Hannes said.

The Trojans fell in the doubles championship, dropping 6-3, 6-0 to Xavier’s Declan Coe and Hugh Courter, but the team secured one of two doubles spots up for grabs at the qualifier, as well as some bragging rights when they get back into school.

“It’s going to be sick,” Hannes said. “I didn’t even put that into consideration.”

The season isn’t over for Maharishi or Mt. Pleasant, either. The two squads finished second and third respectively, and will meet up on Thursday morning at Fairfield’s Punj tennis courts to fight for the chance to play Xavier in the team substate final.

Maharishi scored eight points in the singles tournament. The Pioneers pushed two players into the singles semifinals, as Zak Askar and Ruin Luo were each one win away from state.

Xavier’s Brady Horstmann knocked out Askar 6-0, 6-0 and eventually won the tournament title. Xavier’s Quincey Johnson swept Luo 6-0, 6-4.

Mt. Pleasant scored six of their 10 points in doubles. Tim Cam and Elliot Cook made the doubles quarterfinals, as did Jake Ensminger and Levi Graber. Mt. Pleasant also had two singles quarterfinalists, in Lincoln Henriksen and Owen Vansickel.

Hannes and Flanagan will play in the doubles state tournament in Waterloo, beginning Tuesday, May 24. With a good first day, they could advance to the final day of the tournament on May 25.

TEAM SCORES

1. Xavier 32

2. Maharishi 11

3. Mt. Pleasant 10

4. Davenport Assumption 10

5. Fairfield 9

6. Keokuk 3

7. Fort Madison 0