Royce Klucas had done it again. The Waverly senior had just outdueled his opponent in another lengthy, back-and-forth rally.Â
This one sent Klucas to the ground with a dive as he anticipated the ball. Instead, the ball thwacked the top of the net — the tape — and fell back on Connor Chen's side.
Point, Klucas. That gave the senior a 30-0 lead in the game, which he went on to win moments later to seal a 7-6 (7-4), 6-4 triumph in the Class B No. 2 singles state tennis championship match over Chen, a junior from Mount Michael, on Friday at Woods Tennis Center.
In a battle of finesse vs. power, the second-seeded Klucas prevailed as he calmly returned No. 1 Chen's forceful forehands one after the other, often forcing the heavy-hitter into errors.Â
"He (Klucas) is a mentally strong player who is super fast," Waverly coach Tammy Tegler said. "What tends to happen is he begins to wear players down because they think they have to keep hitting bigger and bigger."
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That was true Friday, as Klucas finally solved Chen, who won the past three times they've played.
Klucas struck a winning balance on a sunny but windy day. He'd invite longer rallies and occasionally draw Chen to the net, where Klucas was a little more crafty Friday.
"I know he's a big hitter," Klucas said. "He's on and off. My overall goal was just to make him hit as many shots as possible. Obviously, he's going to hit some winners on me."
Chen's best burst of the match came in the first set when he won three consecutive games to turn a 3-1 deficit into a 4-3 lead. For the first time in the young match, Chen had the momentum.
Klucas didn't give in. He didn't overswing in an effort to make up ground, sticking to the steady approach and eventually forcing a tiebreaker.Â
Klucas won 7-4, a welcome sight considering he says he's struggled in those situations recently.Â
In the second set, Klucas shot out to a 3-1 lead, which Chen trimmed to 4-3 and then 5-4. In the games he won, Klucas would strike first — winning the first rally or two was a priority Friday.
"It helps as a confidence booster to always be up in the game because that puts all the pressure on him to hit the good shot," Klucas said.Â
Klucas played his state title match while his brother, Grey Klucas, played in the No. 1 singles championship two courts away. It made for a memorable day for Waverly, which had a strong contingent cheering for both Klucas brothers.
"The last time that I can remember us having two players, two positions in the final at the same time was 2009," Tegler said.Â
Ian Scott of Mount Michael defeated Grey Klucas 6-2, 6-1 to capture the No. 1 singles championship in his first year playing high school tennis in Nebraska.
Scott transferred to Mount Michael from North Carolina last year but was ineligible to compete due to transfer rules. He said he felt some rust early in the season but quickly rounded into form, winning 43 of 46 matches — and two of those defeats came to top Class A players.Â
Scott put the pressure on Klucas early Friday, dominating rallies with a long, sweeping serve that packed a punch and often put Klucas out of position to merely return the ball. Scott took advantage, racing to the net to finish points.
"It feels great," said Scott, a senior. "I couldn't have asked for a better year. I love my team."
Mount Michael won the team race with 58 points while Elkhorn North was second with 41.125. Waverly (36) and Lincoln Pius X (32.250) rounded out the top four.