HIBBING—If Isaiah learned anything during his first-singles match against Zander Peterson it was never give up.
The Hibbing sophomore lost the first set to Peterson 6-4, then he was down 5-2 in the second set.
What made matters worse is that Hildenbrand also found himself down 0-40 in two of the games.
Even though his match had no effect on the outcome of the dual meet, Hildenbrand persevered, beating Peterson 4-6, 7-6 (4), 10-3 in helping the Bluejackets take down the Gobblers 6-1 Friday at the Lincoln Elementary School Courts.
At 5-2, in the second set, Conda came over to give Hildenbrand some words of advice.
“At that point, we talked and said, ‘You can’t give up.’” Conda said. “I’ve won a lot of matches from 2-5. You fight hard to win that first one to get to three, then all of a sudden, the other person feels a little pressure.
“The next thing you know is your right back in the match. He was. He got lucky. But he didn’t quit. That can make all of the difference.”
Hildenbrand took it one-point-at-a-time, then he took all of that momentum into the super tiebreaker, winning easily.
“He had three match points right there,” Conda said. “That’s 90-percent of the reason he won the tiebreaker. The momentum went his way. There was some luck involved,no doubt about it, but he didn’t quit.”
In the other singles matches, Whitaker Rewertz beat Andrew Hudrlik 6-0, 6-1, and Rex Walli beat Noland Nordberg 6-4, 6-2.
Even though he won his match with Hermantown’s Gabe Swanson 6-4. 6-4, Coda siad the eighth-grader was more on his game against Hudrlik.
“Whitaker had a much-better day,” Conda said. “He was warmed up and ready to play. Like he said, the kid that he played Thursday pretty much had the same ability. He struggled with that match a little bit. In this one, he just didn’t give the kid a chance.
“He attacked on short balls, and placed them far better than he did Thursday. He had some easy volleys in that way. That was a good match. Rex had a little lapse in the middle. He may have been thinking about getting back to school.”
Aitkin’s Josh Stanley would beat Keaton Petrick 1-6, 6-4, 10-3.
In doubles, Hibbing swept the Gobbers, giving up three games in the process.
Jack Gabardi and Cooper Hendrickson beat Wyatt Crowther and Wyatt Winder, 6-1, 6-0; Joey Gabardi and Tyler Fisher beat Reese Wendlandt and Miach Morris, 6-1, 6-1; and Brady Fosso and Benny Galli beat Tucker Priem and Will Vogtlin, 6-0, 6-0.
Our doubles kind of dominated, even in this wind,” Conda said. “They had some interesting points. They’re starting to believe in what works and what doesn’t work.. Even in the wind, they were driving their returns back and coming forward.
“I was proud of them.”
Hibbing 6, Aitkin 1
Singles: No. 1—Isaiah Hildenbrand, H, def. Zander Peterson, 4-5, 7-6 (4), 10-3; No. 2—Josh Stanley, A, def. Keaton Petrick, 1-6, 6-4, 10-3; No. 3—Whitaker Rewertz, H, def. Andrew Hudrlik, 6-0, 6-1; No. 4—Rex Walli, H, def. Noland Nordberg, 6-4, 6-2.
Doubles: No. 1—Jack Gabardi-Cooper Hendrickson, H, def. Wyatt Crowther-Wyatt Winder, 6-1, 6-0; No. 2—Joey Gabardi-Tyler Fisher, H, def. Reese Wendlandt-Micah Morris, 6-1, 6-1; No. 3—Brady Fosso-Benny Galli, H, def. Tucker Priem-Will Vogtlin, 6-0, 6-0.
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