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Windy Weather Can't Stop Red-Hot Tennis Cats

By Joe Ginley, 04/13/18, 11:00AM EDT

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Brian Zhu notched a double bagel on Thursday.

Can anyone stop the Tennis Cats? 

Mother Nature huffed and puffed on Thursday, but the Saint Ignatius varsity tennis team did not collapse. Instead, the Wildcats cruised to a 5-0 victory over Westlake at home at Magnificat High School.

Soaking in the sun, the Wildcats tallied their ninth straight win and third this week. 

With the windy conditions a factor, head coach Bobbe Bennett decided to add another small challenge – new doubles teams. 

The Wildcats' first-year head coach paired freshman sensation Nate Day with 2017 State Qualifier Richie Hofstra, looking for a combination of youth and experience. The two performed quite well together. Day and Hofstra tallied a 6-2 win in set one before finishing off the victory with a 6-1 triumph in No. 1 doubles.

Bennett paired her "Jacks" in the No. 2 doubles slot. Jack Showman and Jack McNally came together for the contest, and did well. The duo fought for a 6-4 win in set #1 before easing to a 6-2 victory in set #2. 

“There were tough conditions today for both teams with the high winds, but I was proud of how the guys worked through it and played good tennis," Bennett said. "Especially our doubles, which we switched up a bit. For the first time playing together, I was very happy how they worked together and played very well.”

The Wildcats' singles players rolled through the competition with little difficulty. Arjun Brahmbhatt continued his domination of the No. 1 singles spot, capturing a 6-0, 6-0 win. 

Brian Zhu followed up with another double bagel performance, capturing a 6-0, 6-0 victory. Drew Barclay finished off the clean sweep with another clear 6-0, 6-0 decision. 

With a 9-0 record, the Wildcats will roll into Friday's match with University School with plenty of momentum. The Tennis Cats will host the 4:30 pm showdown at Magnificat.