Tennis: Lower Merion wins PIAA Class AAA boys’ tennis team title

Lower Merion won the PIAA Class AAA boys’ tennis team title for the third time in program history on Saturday evening, defeating Upper St. Clair 3-2 at Hershey Racquet Club in the championship match.

The Aces, champions of District 1, won all three singles matches. The Panthers, winners of District 7, won both doubles matches.

The clinching point was provided by Matt Chen at No. 2 singles. With Lower Merion up 2-1, Chen closed out a 6-3, 6-2 win over Domenick D’Amico.

“I was really feeling it today,” said Chen, a sophomore. “I started slow in the tournament, but this was a best match so far.”

Upper St. Clair took a 1-0 lead when Liam Gibbons and Scott Russell defeated Jared Robinson and Omosessan Adebamgbe 6-4, 6-3.

“Our doubles were strong all year,” Upper St. Clair head coach Ron Mercer said. “But you’ve got to win at least one in singles. They had strong singles guys.”

Soon after the Panthers took the lead, the Aces’ singles players were finishing off their wins. No. 3 player Thibault Vernier tied the match 1-1 by defeating Anthony Abinanti 6-2, 6-2. Then at No. 1, Simon Vernier beat Fernando Escribens 6-3, 6-4 to put Lower Merion up 2-1.

“Our singles players really carried us,” Lower Merion head coach David O’Connell said. “Simone is playing great tennis. I’m excited about seeing him in [state] singles next week.”

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