BEAVERTON — The OSAA Class 6A boys tennis championships turned into a family affair Saturday as a pair of brothers from Jesuit claimed titles.
Different titles.
Freshman Peter Murphy won the singles championship, defeating Westview junior Luke Lemaitre.
Edward Murphy, Peter’s brother, and Michael Quinn claimed the boys doubles championship, defeating another Jesuit duo, sophomore Thomas Kallgren and senior Thomas Remington.
BOYS SINGLES
Murphy and Lemaitre played for the third time this year. Murphy had won their previous two matches — a three-setter during the regular season and in straight sets in the Metro League championship.
Saturday’s matchup turned into a 2-hour, 40-minute marathon where Murphy eventually prevailed in straight sets, but he needed to win a tie break in each one.
The fourth-seeded Murphy outlasted fifth-seeded Lemaitre 7-6 (4), 7-6 (1).
“It was the pace I wanted,” Murphy said of the slugfest, which meant points that played slow, slower, slowest. He and Lemaitre were on the court so long, they watched as nearly every other final ended around them at the Tualatin Hills Tennis Center. They were the last ones done.
“When you see the other matches finish, it’s tough,” Murphy said. “But it was a great experience.”
Lemaitre sat on a bench between courts after it was all over, thinking about what might have been.
He had the chance to win both sets, leading 5-4 in the first and 6-5 in the second, but he couldn’t close out either one.
“I felt like I played pretty well, but I thought I played the big points poorly,” Lemaitre said. “I came in on the right balls, but I played too defensively sometimes. And (Murphy) never quits. He never gives up.”
Last year, Lemaitre reached the quarterfinals before he was eliminated. With one more year to go, there’s a chance for a title rematch.
Murphy has more finals in his sights, saying, “I think it’s the beginning of something special.”
BOYS DOUBLES
There was no doubt Saturday morning that a Jesuit team would take the doubles title. But which one?
The seniors prevailed. Top-seeded Edward Murphy and Michael Quinn beat No. 3 sophomore Thomas Kallgren and senior Thomas Remington 6-4, 6-2.
“It was tough playing teammates,” Edward Murphy said.
One reason? It wasn’t very noisy. All around them, where different players from different schools were competing, there was a raucous, Davis Cup type vibe, with chanting, rhythmic clapping and thunderous bursts of applause.
But four guys from the same school? There was a muted, polite response. No one wanted to show too much favor for one team over the other.
“It was definitely quieter. And a little awkward,” Quinn said.
But one team had to win, and seniority prevailed.