Andrade Sweeps to Championship

It seemed almost fitting Tuesday evening when thunderstorms forced the participants of the DCIAA tennis championships to seek shelter in a nearby gymnasium. For a league that has struggled to generate consistent participation, develop talent or coordinate around poor weather and senior proms, it was just another bump in the road, the third time in three weeks that the tournament had been delayed.

When play resumed yesterday morning, School Without Walls senior Victor Andrade, a Brazilian exchange student, defeated Wilson's Hai Pham, 6-0, 6-1, to win the boys' singles title.

Andrade, who has played competitively in Brazil for eight years, capped an undefeated season (8-0).

"I was excited to come to America because I heard a lot about how competitive high school sports are in this country," Andrade said clutching his trophy. "A lot of these players don't have a lot of experience though, it wasn't really what I expected."

In his match with Pham, Andrade's strategy was to use all of his 6 feet 2 inches to his advantage, following a strong serve with aggressive volleys that forced Pham out of his comfort zone along the baseline.

In girls' singles, School Without Walls sophomore Camille Hyde won in a forfeit when H.D. Woodson's Bianca Lockley failed to show up to Tuesday's match.

"I'm not really sure what the issue was whether it was the weather or a miscommunication," Wilson coach and league commissioner Spyke Henry said. "We tried calling her a couple times. Finally she just said she couldn't make it."

In doubles, School Without Walls seniors Amit Singh and Tobias Ensky benefited from Tuesday's rains. Down 5-2 to Wilson's Gabriel Allen and Miguel Alcazar when play was called Tuesday, Singh and Ensky rallied to win the final two sets, defeating last year's champions, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2.

"We definitely calmed down since yesterday [Tuesday]," Singh said. "I guess we were trying too hard when all we needed to do was keep the ball in play."

Because the DCIAA plays "best doubles" in the doubles bracket, teams of a girl and boy, two girls, or two boys were all in the same bracket.

Lighter Workload: Between the weather and opponents' failures to show for matches, Andrade's 8-0 record to finish the season means that he played 33 fewer matches this season than Virginia singles champion Justin Shane of Stuart, who also played doubles. Tigers Prevail: Though School Without Walls took each of the individual championships, Wilson won the regular season team title. After both schools finished the regular season undefeated, the two teams met in a playoff with Wilson winning, 4-3.