Warriors’ Manilla falls in Group AA singles semis

By Jay Jenkins

Published: June 6, 2008

RADFORD — Jamestown coach Bob Artis made a post-match beeline for Joey Manilla.

The reaction would have led a spectator at the tennis courts at Radford University to believe that Artis was congratulating Western Albermarle’s top player for a victory in the semifinal round of the VHSL Group AA singles tournament.

Unfortunately for Manilla, that was not the case — he lost in the state semifinals to Region I champion Elliott Mee of Jamestown in three sets, 6-7 (7-9), 6-2, 6-2, but Artis saw the heart of a champion.

“When you watch tennis, character is displayed,” Artis said. “When Joey plays you see his character as a person and always as a coach, you are happy to see other children who have been taught the proper work ethic in life, as well as the proper honor in life.”

Manilla, the Region II singles champ, showcased his talents in early in the third career head-to-head meeting between two of the state’s finest sophomores.

In fact, Manilla won the opening set over Mee by claiming a lengthy tiebreaker, 9-7.

“I was happy I won the first set,” Manilla said, “but I knew he was going to keep coming because when I played him before they were both three-set matches.”

Manilla’s worst fears were realized — Mee bounced back quickly, winning five of the first seven games in the second set as the sweltering late-morning temperatures took their toll.

“I knew that Elliott was tough and could stay out there longer,” Manilla said. “I am pretty skinny, so I have to win quick because I don’t have much to feed off of. I knew that he was going to stay and he knew that he could beat me, but he still felt pressure because I won the first set.

“I was hoping that maybe if I just wore him down in the second set that I could get him in the third.”

That was not the case as Manilla lost on his serve in the ensuing game and dropped the second set, 6-2, in the process.

“I really wanted to grind him out kind of like Rocky in the movies … he would tire the other guy out,” Manilla said with a grin. “I was trying to get him as tired as possible, but he was hitting winners in the second set. That was the best that I had ever seen him play.”

After a lengthy break allowed Manilla enough time to devour a banana, Mee maintained the momentum, winning the third set’s first five games.

“I couldn’t get back into a rhythm,” Manilla said. “My forehand wasn’t working and I couldn’t get any spin. My serve got better, but my serve was terrible in the first two [sets].”

Down 5-0, Manilla pressed on, electing to pull out another racquet from his bag for his attempt at a rally.

“I have the sweatiest palms in the world,” he said. “I just couldn’t hold onto my racquet, so I went to get a smaller grip size so I could hold on to it.”

Manilla promptly won back-to-back games, drawing courtside praise from Western Albemarle coach Charles Ix.

“He has been in that position before,” Ix pointed out. “It was last year in doubles [in the team title match] where he and Ben Fitts were down 5-2 in the final set with everything on the line.

“Joey knows if you just keep hanging in there and stay around, good things tend to happen. And he started to come alive again.”

It was not to be — moments later Mee was pulled to the net by Manilla and ripped a match-sealing smash and erupted with a fist pump and a deafening scream.

Manilla was left shaking his head in disbelief as Mee’s teammates and Artis sprinted onto the court to visit with both physically drained players.

“You know Joey is heartbroken, but if he didn’t care it wouldn’t have been that close,” Artis said. “When you see another ballplayer, even though he is not my ballplayer, display the characteristics of success, you have a lot of respect for him.”

Manilla admitted he had trouble remaining focused during the contest with Mee as his thoughts centered on today’s semifinal match with his teammates against Harrisonburg and the potential chance to defend their state title on Saturday.

“There were points in the match where I thought, ‘This is individuals, this is about myself,’ and more importantly, I really want to win the team title because it is not just about me, it is my friends, too, and I care a lot about them,” he said. “I don’t want to say I threw the match, because I didn’t — I fought as hard as I could — but in a way, I’m glad it didn’t take a lot out of me.

“Obviously I am tired, but now I can save energy for more important times for me.”

And the fourth head-to-head match with Mee may be looming on Saturday, should Western and Jamestown win semifinal matches today at Virginia Tech.

“The first thing Joey said to me after the match was, ‘Can we make this a five-setter the next time we play?’” Artis chuckled. “By the time these two are seniors we’re going to have to change to five-setters, because two out of three just isn’t enough.”

Fairfax doubles team tops Albemarle pair

In Falls Church, the Northwest Region girls doubles champions of Megan Napolitano and Kelly Anderson fell in three sets to Fairfax’s Lauren Palmucci and her partner Katie Montwill in the VHSL quarterfinals — but not before Anderson battled through a dislocated right shoulder.

With the match tied at one set apiece, Albemarle clung to a 4-3 lead in the decisive third set. With the eighth game at deuce, Palmucci and Anderson exchanged a furious rally, during which Anderson went down with the dislocated shoulder.

During a medical timeout, an on-site trainer worked to put the joint back in place and Anderson decided to try and play through the injury. After a couple of games the match was even at 5-5 and Anderson stepped up to serve for the first time since the injury, in visible discomfort and favoring her right shoulder.

Unable to serve overhand, the senior hit the serves underhand and got the game to 30-30 before she was left unable to do anything but knock the ball across the net and hope for the best. Fairfax got the game, and as the teams changed ends it was clear Anderson was in too much pain to continue and unable to play. The match ended with Fairfax leading 6-5.

The crowd stood and applauded as Napolitano and Anderson graciously shook hands and left the court as a team for the last time.