East Hampton Girls Tennis Team Records Seventh Straight Win

East Hampton’s girls tennis team is now on a seven-game win streak with its second straight 7-0 sweep thanks to a tiebreak win by second doubles team Ava Mintz and Stella Peterson.

“It was a good match,” head coach Pablo Montesi said. “It was nice to have a close game. When there’s big differences in the score, it’s not as fun. This was a really great game. It went really well.”

Mintz, a sophomore, and Peterson, a senior, rallied to win six straight games after starting the first set down, 3-0. The Bonackers duo was also down in the second, and tied it late to force the tiebreak. The pair won 6-3, 7-6 (7-4).

“It was nice to see them battle back,” the coach said. “They realized the other team’s strategy of playing back … sometimes they switched. Kirra had a stronger forehand. They saw that and started to play safer in certain situations and with strategy in others.”

Sophomores Kirra Krzenski and Mateya Silvera, traditionally singles players, stayed solid at the baseline, and moved to the net later in the match after guidance from head coach Richard “Juni” Wingfield to throw their opponents off their game — and it worked.

“They did a respectable job today,” Wingfield said. “We’ve been competing despite being in a tough stretch with Westhampton, Shoreham-Wading River, William Floyd and now East Hampton. I tell them that full effort is full victory, and you saw full effort today.”

East Hampton junior Hailey Rigby was first off the court with a 6-0, 6-0 shutout at first singles, and sophomore Ella Menu was right behind her with a 6-0, 6-1 win at second singles. Senior Natalie Yellen won, 2-6, 6-2, (7-5), at third singles, senior Caleigh Barletta and junior Colleen McKee earned a 6-0, 6-2 victory at first doubles, senior Sienna Hummel and junior Sophia Sanchez Cleary won, 6-1, 6-0, at third doubles and eighth-graders Dylan and Fallon Centaloza shut down their opponents, 6-0, 6-0, at fourth doubles before the second singles match was complete.

“Hailey and Ella are playing very good tennis. They’re very consistent,” Montesi said. “They have all the strokes in their arsenal, they serve well, they move well and they have power, so I can’t wait to see how they compete against stronger opponents. Getting challenged will be big for their games.”

Montesi said confidence is something he stresses with his 8-2 overall, 7-0 in League IV play Bonackers.

“Going 7-0 in league matches, they’re feeling that and playing that way,” the coach said. “They’re all getting more consistent and stronger, and confident, for sure.”

Stiff competition in Ross (7-1, 4-1) and Westhampton Beach (8-1, 6-0) lied ahead for the Bonackers on Monday and Wednesday, results of which were not available by press time. East Hampton also hosts William Floyd (8-1, 5-1 at press time) on Saturday, October 5, at 2 p.m. before hosting Southold/Greenport on Monday, October 7, at 4 p.m. The Bonackers season finale will be against currently undefeated Shoreham-Wading River on the road on Wednesday, October 9, at 4:30 p.m.

“We have tougher opponents ahead,” Montesi said, “so we’ll see.”