Unexpectedly getting a taste of victory

WIESBADEN, Germany – Brussels’ Elham Aziri experienced a wild 27 hours.

Before 1 p.m. Wednesday, the sophomore believed his tennis season was over. But one phone call from tournament organizers changed everything.

With Marymount’s Leonardo Proietti dropping out, a spot opened up in the boys singles bracket of the DODEA European tennis championships on Thursday through Saturday at the T2 Sports Health Club in Wiesbaden, Germany. Aziri was selected to take that place.

Just one problem: The Brigands had been on the road for an hour by the time the call was made.

Thankfully, Aziri’s father got behind the wheel to transport his son to the end-of-season tournament, where he was able to get in three matches within just a little more than a day after the phone call.

“It’s been surprising, shocking,” Aziri said.

Adding to his surprise is where he was placed in the tournament.

Instead of moving all players up one position, just Pool B was changed. Kaiserslautern’s Jace Martin went from third to second, SHAPE’s Alejandro Cuesta from fifth to third and Bahrain’s Ja’Cori Thomas from seventh to fifth. Then, Aziri slotted into the seventh seed.

Vilseck’s Cameron Holloway runs to the ball near the net during a match against Vicenza’s Sam Grady in pool-play action of the DODEA European tennis championships on Oct. 19, 2023, at T2 Sports Health Club in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Bahrain’s Mathew Mendoza tries a drop shot during a match between himself and teammate Carson Owens and Lakenheath’s Jonathan Soito and Calvin Moncada in pool-play action of the DODEA European tennis championships on Oct. 19, 2023, at T2 Sports Health Club in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Naples’ Kai Baraniak serves during a match between himself and fellow Wildcat Tavi Shah and Kaiserslautern’s Isaac Holly and Bryan Oh in pool-play action of the DODEA European tennis championships on Oct. 19, 2023, at T2 Sports Health Club in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

The sophomore Brigand credited his coach, Sofia Langenstein, for getting him through the situation.

“Coach helped me with the pressure,” Aziri said. “She told me to relax. I was still nervous, but it helped me.”

Thursday turned out to be more than just an experience for Aziri.

After losing his opening match to Cuesta 8-1, Aziri bounced back with an 8-5 decision over ninth-seeded Hudson Hulet out of Spangdahlem. The Brigand managed to get himself out of an early deficit en route to the victory.

He finished with an 8-3 loss to Martin during the late afternoon, but he said he will relish the victory.

“It was very special,” Aziri said. “It means a lot to me. I want to come here next year and have more wins.”

Vicenza’s Addie Wilson hits the ball as she and teammate Annika Svenson face off against Stuttgart’s Gracey Basgall and Allison Hayes in pool-play action of the DODEA European tennis championships on Oct. 19, 2023, at T2 Sports Health Club in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Wiesbaden’s Bella Rainey hits the ball as she and fellow Warrior Samaire Fleming square off against Lakenheath’s Elisabeth Petrich and Maddison Beedham in pool-play action of the DODEA European tennis championships on Oct. 19, 2023, at T2 Sports Health Club in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Spangdahlem’s Natalie Moran hits the ball as she and teammate Sandrine Bennett play against Annika Svenson and Addie Wilson of Vicenza in pool-play action of the DODEA European tennis championships on Oct. 19, 2023, at T2 Sports Health Club in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Family feud?

When Vicenza’s Annika Svenson and Addie Wilson and Wiesbaden’s Bella Rainey and Samaire Fleming met in girls doubles pool-play action, more than control of the group was in play.

Wilson and Rainey are cousins, so they were playing for family bragging rights.

The match, which ended 8-0 in favor of the Cougar duo, wasn’t the first time Rainey and Svenson have met in the European tournament. Last year, the two opened against each other, which Svenson and Wilson won over Bella and Sophia Rainey.

“I was hoping when we came back, we’d be in different pools,” Wilson said. “So at least we didn’t have to play each other.”

“It just always happens,” Rainey said.

Unfortunately for Rainey, she seems constantly to come out on the losing end in the matchup.

Wilson and Rainey’s teams have squared off four times the past two seasons. Twice the Warriors made trips south of the Alps in the regular season to go with the tournament matchup.

Rainey joked she knows the result before they even step on the court.

“When I see your name, it’s basically …” Rainey said to Wilson while making a tear motion with her hand.

Playing against each other creates conflicting emotions, though. Both Wilson and Rainey mentioned how they root for each other no matter what, although winning is paramount.

“We both want to win, but we’re playing our family,” Rainey said.

“We both want what’s best for each other, but that’s not what’s best for us,” Wilson said.

The cousins don’t have to worry about facing off again unless both make the finals.

Both the Vicenza and Wiesbaden pairs are in the driver’s seat to advance to the semifinals. Svenson and Wilson went 3-0 on Thursday with wins also over Spangdahlem’s Sandrine Bennett and Natalie Moran (8-1) and Stuttgart’s Gracey Basgall and Allison Hayes (8-3).

Rainey and Fleming, meanwhile, upset third-seeded Elisabeth Petrich and Maddison Beedham of Lakenheath in their first match 8-6. If the Warriors win out, they would finish second in the pool.

Vicenza’s Sarah Gordon serves against Ansbach’s Meredith Maxwell in pool-play action of the DODEA European tennis championships on Oct. 19, 2023, at T2 Sports Health Club in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Ansbach’s Bobby and Jack Lovallo, center left and center right, shake hands with Bahrain’s Carson Owens and Mathew Mendoza after their pool-play match during the DODEA European tennis championships on Oct. 19, 2023, at T2 Sports Health Club in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Lakenheath’s Maddison Beedham serves during a match between herself and fellow Lancer Elisabeth Petrich and Stuttgart’s Gracey Basgall and Allison Hayes in pool-play action of the DODEA European tennis championships on Oct. 19, 2023, at T2 Sports Health Club in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Other notable results

Vicenza’s second girls doubles team made noise on Thursday.

Sarah McGovern and Ava Parker, the 10th seed, went 2-1 on the day. After losing to the top seed in Kaiserslautern’s Alisa Dietzel and Abby Hover 8-1, they defeated Naples’ Andrea Mayounga and Aleczandria Rodriguez 8-6, and the Cougars followed that with a 9-8 (10-8) thriller over fourth-seeded Abigial and Esme Halttunen of Brussels.

Another upset-minded doubles squad in Bahrain’s Mathew Mendoza and Carson Owens also made waves, going 2-0. The Falcons handed fourth-seeded Jonathan Soito and Calvin Moncada of Lakenheath a 9-7 loss in their opener, and they defeated 10th-seeded Bobby and Jack Lovallo of Ansbach 8-0.

Pool play finishes Friday.

DODEA-Europe Tennis Championships

Thursday at Wiesbaden, Germany

(Pool play)

Boys

Singles

Pool A – Tristan Chandler (Ramstein) def. Ethan Na (Wiesbaden) 8-0; Sam Grady (Vicenza) def. Owen Watts (Spangdahlem) 8-1; Grady def. Cameron Holloway (Vilseck) 8-2; Chandler def. Watts 8-0; Holloway def. Na 8-3; Chandler def. Holloway 8-0; Grady def. Na 8-0.

Pool B – Jace Martin (Kaiserslautern) def. Hudson Hulet (Spangdahlem) 8-0; Alejandro Cuesta (SHAPE) def. Elham Aziri (Brussels) 8-1; Cuesta def. Ja’Cori Thomas (Bahrain) 8-2; Martin def. Thomas 8-4; Aziri def. Hulet 8-5; Martin def. Aziri 8-3; Cuesta def. Hulet 8-0.

Doubles

Pool A – Zachary Call/Hunter Leslie-Persons (Stuttgart) def. Bobby Lovallo/Jack Lovallo (Ansbach) 8-1; Andrew Reed/Jacob McGovern (Vicenza) def. Jonathan Soito/Calvin Moncada (Lakenheath) 8-6; Matthew Mendoza/Carson Owens (Bahrain) def. Soito/Moncada 9-7; Call/Leslie-Persons def. Reed/McGovern 8-1; Mendoza/Owens def. B.Lovallo/J.Lovallo 8-0.

Pool B – Eric Kim and Sean Kim (Ramstein) def. Kayden Ballard/Jack Bishop (Wiesbaden) 8-2; Tavi Shah/Kai Baraniak (Naples) def. Maxwell Mercado/Kennan Hager (Sigonella) 8-0; Shah/Baraniak def. Isaac Holly/Bryan Oh (Kaiserslautern) 8-5; E.Kim/S.Kim def. Holly/Oh 8-0; Mercado/Hager def. Ballard/Bishop 8-3; Shah/Baraniak def. Ballard/Bishop 8-0.

Girls

Singles

Pool A – Stella Schmitz (Kaiserslautern) def. Riley Thomas (Brussels) 8-0; Delia Gordon (Vicenza) def. Emma Singletary (Ramstein) 8-2; Gordon def. Meredith Maxwell (Ansbach) 8-5; Schmitz def. Singletary 8-0; Maxwell def. Thomas 8-1; Schmitz def. Maxwell 8-0; Gordon def. Thomas 8-0.

Pool B – Charlize Caro (Sigonella) def. Zoe Crawford (Vilseck) 8-0; Isabel Williams (Stuttgart) def. Liliana Stutzman (Naples) 8-5; Williams def. Georgia Bourtzi (SHAPE) 8-1; Caro def. Bourtzi 8-0; Stutzman def. Crawford 8-5; Williams def. Crawford 8-1; Caro def. Stutzman 8-3.

Doubles

Pool A – Alisa Dietzel/Abby Hover (Kaiserslautern) def. Sarah McGovern/Ava Parker (Vicenza) 8-1; Abigail Halttunen and Esme Halttunen (Brussels) def. Chiara D’Arrigo/Marina Torrente (SHAPE) 9-7; A.Haltunnen/E.Haltunnen def. Andrea Mayounga/Aleczandria Rodriguez (Naples) 8-5; Dietzel/Hover def. D’Arrigo/Torrente 8-0; McGovern/Parker def. Mayounga/Rodriguez 8-6; Dietzel/Hover def. Mayounga/Rodriguez 8-0; McGovern/Parker def. A.Halttunen/E.Halttunen 9-8 (10-8).

Pool B – Annika Svenson/Addie Wilson (Vicenza) def. Sandrine Bennett/Natalie Moran (Spangdahlem) 8-1; Elisabeth Petrich/Maddison Beedham (Lakenheath) def. Gracey Basgall/Allison Hayes (Stuttgart) 8-5; Bella Rainey/Samaire Fleming (Wiesbaden) def. Petrich/Beedham 8-6; Svenson/Wilson def. Rainey/Fleming 8-0; Basgall/Hayes def. Bennett/Moran 8-5; Svenson/Wilson def. Basgall/Hayes 8-5; Petrich/Beedham def. Bennett/Moran 8-6.