5A STATE TENNIS: Nederland’s Brandon Do reaches final; Do-Wong take third
Published 2:36 pm Thursday, May 16, 2019
- Nederland tennis state qualifiers Brandon Do, Jayci Wong and Megan Do. (I.C. Murrell/The News) 5-7-19
Siblings Brandon and Megan Do have battled an unknown virus and rising outdoor temperatures this week to give Nederland a shot at medals in the UIL 5A tennis championships at Texas A&M University in College Station.
Along with Megan’s teammate, Jayci Wong, the Bulldogs are going home with some state hardware — but Brandon can still win gold.
Brandon Do, a junior, will play for the championship after grinding out a 6-0, 6-7, 6-4 win over Peyton Dooley of Highland Park on Friday. Do will face Jerod Wilson of Red Oak, who pulled out a win over Brice Bradshaw of Lubbock Christian in the other semifinal.
The title game is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Friday.
Brandon won his first-round match earlier Thursday against Isaac Cordova of El Paso 6-1, 6-2, but Nederland coach Jorge Lopez said the match was much closer than the set scores appear.
“The first set, he played really well,” Lopez said. “The second set, the other guy stepped up. Brandon had to fight even more.”
That’s when Lopez revealed the Dos have battled the virus since Sunday. Brandon needed intravenous hydration at one point this week, Lopez added.
“He’s on the weaker side, physically,” the coach said, “but he’s stronger mentally.”
Dooley beat Ethan Evans of Boerne Champion, 6-4, 6-3.
Freshman Megan Do and senior Wong teamed up for a 7-6, 6-4 win over Nell Covington and Campbell Henderson of Highland Park. The Nederland duo then fell to Fiona Crawley and Brianna Wilbur of San Antonio Alamo Heights, 6-0, 6-1, in the semifinal.
Lopez was pleased with the Nederland players’ performance against a Highland Park program that has produced at 18 fall tennis team championships since the 1982-83 school year.
“To beat players from a team that’s won state for the last [18 of 37] years, that’s pretty good,” he said.
Temperatures in College Station reached the upper 80s with 50% humidity, according to weather.com. Friday’s weather calls for a 40% chance of rain with a high of 86 and 15-mph wind.
The warm weather took a toll on one athlete who was forced to stop her match in the second set with cramps, Lopez said.
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I.C. Murrell: 721-2435. Twitter: @ICMurrellPANews
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Nederland’s Wong returns to 5A tourney with siblings
Brandon Do and Jayci Wong will rep Nederland in the 5A tennis tournament next Thursday and Friday at Texas A&M. Brandon's sister Megan is going as well. pic.twitter.com/VG761PDi5t
— I.C. Murrell (@ICMurrellPB) May 10, 2019
About I.C. Murrell
I.C. Murrell was promoted to editor of The News, effective Oct. 14, 2019. He previously served as sports editor since August 2015 and has won or shared eight first-place awards from state newspaper associations and corporations. He was born in Memphis, Tennessee, grew up mostly in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and graduated from the University of Arkansas at Monticello.
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