Center Grove tennis falls in state quarters

<p>INDIANAPOLIS</p><p>There is no way to tell if Center Grove boys tennis team would have won if Friday’s state quarterfinal match against Floyd Central hadn’t moved indoors.</p><p>“But it was trending in a positive direction,” Center Grove coach Ivan Smith said. “I hate to use that as an excuse. I don’t know if we would have sealed the deal or not if the weather had held, but it looked better. It’s part of the gig; you have to readjust.”</p><p>Fourth-ranked Floyd Central slipped by No. 5 Center Grove 3-2 in a match that began at Carmel High School before the rain hit. Center Grove had won one one point at No. 3 singles before the final four matches were moved indoors to the Indianapolis Racquet Club.</p>[sc:text-divider text-divider-title="Story continues below gallery" ]Click here to purchase photos from this gallery<p>Floyd Central (23-1), which now plays No. 1 Carmel in a semifinal today, got the final point at No. 2 singles as Gabe Cora and Joe Lincoln railed to beat senior J.T. Embrey and sophomore Dhrumil Patel 6-7 (7-5), 6-4, 6-3.</p><p>“That was a match (at No. 2 doubles) that anything could have happened,” said Smith, whose team finished with a 20-5 record.</p><p>The Trojans also had won the first set at No. 2 singles before Floyd Central’s Connor Mason rebounded to defeat senior Mitch Runkle 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.</p><p>“I didn’t think we were playing that well,” Smith said. “I didn’t think we were playing the way we needed to play but Trey (Thixton) got waxed the first set and came back and won the second set at No. 1 singles. So we had opportunities; you just have to take advantage of them. We had most of the time this year, but we weren’t able to do it. They’re supposed to be a better than we are (by rankings) and they showed it.”</p><p>The Highlanders’ Lucas Sakamaki downed Thixton 6-2, 2-6, 6-3. Thixton, a senior, finished 17-10.</p><p>At No. 3 singles, Center Grove junior Mason Runkle topped Eric Whitehouse 6-2, 6-1.</p><p>Center Grove’s No. 1 doubles team of senior Nic Ballesteros and junior Grant Herron knocked off Alex Poe and Jordan Wilson 1-6, 6-3, 6-2. Ballesteros and Herron improved to 22-5, staying unbeaten in the state tournament and advancing to in the individual doubles competition.</p><p>“They played terrible in the first set, but they played well in the last two sets,” Smith said of his No. 1 doubles team.</p><p>Ballesteros said it was a boost to come in from the cold.</p><p>“For me, having to adjust to the wind on my ball toss for my serve is very hard,” Ballesteros said. “(Indoors) I had match higher percentage of my serves. That led us to win a lot of games.”</p><p>However, Herron said the rest of the team seemed to lose a little momentum moving indoors.</p><p>“It was a hard transition because none of us expected to come indoors after winning points outside,” Herron said.</p><p>Herron said the experience of making the state finals for the first team since 2014 should make the returning players hungry for more.</p><p>“It was a great experience,” Herron said. “We just want to keep improving every single year.”</p><p>Ballesteros said he was emotional about playing his last high school team match.</p><p>“But I’m going to try to use that to my advantage (in the doubles tournament),” he said.</p>