The Carmel boys tennis team advanced to today’s state semi-finals with a 3-2 victory over Homestead in Friday’s quarter-final round.
It was a top-two meeting, with the defending state champion Greyhounds ranked No. 1 and the Spartans rated No. 2. The meet began at Carmel’s Todd Witsken Tennis Center, and the ‘Hounds were able to clinch there, with straight-set wins from No. 1 singles Presley Thienemann and the doubles teams of No. 1 Timmy Dixon and Garrett Lloyd and No. 2 Uday Lomada and Jones McNamar.
Rain halted play in the middle of the meet, and the matches continued indoors at the Indianapolis Racquet Club facility on Dean Road in Indianapolis. Homestead wrapped up the other two matches at that location.
Carmel will play No. 4 Floyd Central in the semi-finals at 10 a.m. today at North Central’s Barbara Wynne Tennis Center. The Highlanders beat No. 5 Center Grove 4-1 in the quarter-finals.
The other semi-final will be contested between No. 3 North Central and No. 8 Park Tudor. North Central swept No. 23 Culver Academies 5-0, while Park Tudor edged No. 14 Columbus North 3-2.
Semi-final winners advance to the state championship match, which takes place at 2 p.m. today.
Carmel 3, Homestead 2
No. 1 singles: Presley Thienemann def. David Hainey 6-0, 6-1
No. 2 singles: Broc Fletcher lost to Daniel Gilbert 1-6, 6-3, 6-1
No. 3 singles: Srisanth Malpeddi lost to Andrew Meier 6-0, 6-1
No. 1 doubles: Timmy Dixon and Garrett Lloyd def. Tim Steiner and Bryant Zitlaw 6-0, 6-3
No. 2 doubles: Uday Lomada and Jones McNamar def. Thaddeus Dressel and Landon Sather 6-1, 6-2