By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Alex Yeager and Kalei Christensen have been doubles partners in U.S. Tennis Association youth tournaments since they were old enough to swing a racquet. In the eighth grade, they earned a berth in the Kentucky high school state tournament as a doubles team for Holy Cross.
On Thursday, the two Covington Catholic sophomores won their first 9th Region championship together with a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Shayaan Ahmed and Joey Case of Villa Madonna in the title match at CovCath.
“It’s like a one-two punch with us together,” said Christensen. “There’s not one weakness when we’re out there. Everything good comes out when we play together.”
In the region final, the CovCath duo won the last four games in the first set. They had a 3-1 lead in the second set and got the winning points in the next two games on a cross-court return by Yeager and service ace by Christensen.
“To be a good doubles team, you’ve got to both have good returns,” Yeager said. “And then I feel like you’re always going to have that one big server, and that’s Kalei. He sets me up at the net pretty well so I can put away volleys.”
CovCath junior Brady Hussey won the 9th Region boys singles title for the third consecutive year with a 6-0, 6-1 win over Beechwood freshman Neel Reddy on Thursday.
Hussey said he was glad to be able to defend his title after not playing any singles matches during the regular season due to torn ligaments in his right ankle that happened at the end of basketball season. He wore an ankle brace in all four of his region tournament matches that he won in straight sets.
“That’s how I like to play, stay in front and not let them get any advantages,” he said of his aggressive style of play that carried him to the state semifinals last season.
While he was recovering from his ankle injury, Hussey said he continued weight training to get stronger for both sports that he has played since he was a freshman.
“It’s good for tennis and basketball,” he said of the workouts. “In basketball, you can be more physical out there and not get pushed around. In tennis, you can stay in long matches and know your body can keep up, plus you can hit bigger shots.”
In the semifinal round of the 9th Region girls tennis tournament, all four matches were decided in straight sets. The singles winners were two-time defending champion Sara Watanabe of Covington Latin and Tapanee Boonyawat of Dixie Heights. They will face off in the region final at 4 p.m. Friday at Boone Woods Park.
In the girls doubles final at 4 p.m. Friday, it will be defending champions Hailey Fullenkamp and Taylor Meenach of Notre Dame going against top-seeded Sadie Jones and Hallie King of Beechwood.
CovCath and Notre Dame finished first in the 9th Region tennis boys and girls team standings once again. The Colonels have won 21 consecutive boys titles and the Pandas have won all but one girls title since 1995.
The boys and girls state tennis tournaments will be played May 30 to June 1. The top four finishers in singles and doubles from 16 regions will compete for state championships.