Update after press time:
Melrose falls to Wakefield 3-2 (May 9)
Melrose defeats Woburn 4-1 (May 7)
Published May 9, 2025
By JENNIFER GENTILE
MELROSE—The Melrose High boys’ tennis team enjoyed a four-match winning streak that ended on May 2 when they fell to powerhouse Lexington, 5-0. But in getting there, the team enjoyed a two-week winning stretch that sees them 4-8 on the season and within contention of a possible playoff bid.
Melrose picked up another win on April 28 when they beat Stoneham, 5-0. Prevailing for Melrose was: 1st Singles: Daniel Teittinen who won 6-1, 6-0; 2nd Singles: Joseph Brady who won 6-2, 6-2 and 3rd Singles: Andy Wang who won 6-3, 6-1. In 1st Doubles Gautik Singh and Alec Truesdale won 6-0, 6-0 and in 2nd Doubles Grady Kamosa and Colin Cote won 6-0, 6-1.
After the match, Melrose coach Sam Stallings was pleased with the team’s effort. “Stoneham had some new faces, it seems like they’re a younger team now than in the past. So I think our experience and talent level made this a straightforward match for us. I was glad that we didn’t play down to their level and took care of business.”
The coach pointed out the efforts of Andy Wang, who had a strong win at 3rd Singles. “He’s come along for us very well so far this season,” says the coach. “His opponent was young, but he had skill, so he made Andy earn the win.”
Just two days later, they picked up their fourth victory in a row with a 5-0 shutout over Watertown on the road at Victory Courts.
Those who picked up wins for Melrose included: 1st Singles: Daniel Teittinen who won 6-0, 6-0; 2nd Singles: Joseph Brady who won 6-2, 6-1; 3rd Singles: Andy Wang who won 6-4, 6-3. Melrose also prevailed in doubles play. In 1st Doubles Gautik Singh and Alec Truesdale won 6-0, 6-0 and in 2nd Doubles: Grady Kamosa and Colin Cote won 7-6 (5), 6-3.
“Watertown has some experienced players, but Daniel and Joseph came out way too strong for their opponents to pose much of a threat,” says coach Stallings. “They were both very focused and tactical in how they played. Andy played one of his best matches, serving very well and hitting consistent groundstrokes. His opponent did a great job of getting Andy’s best serves back in, so he made Andy find other ways to win and he did that.”
He also gave credit to Kamosa and Cote for the perseverance in their doubles play. “Grady and Colin faced some challenges at 2nd doubles, but they managed to navigate the tiebreaker in the first set and carried that momentum into the second set. This was a good, pressure win for them against a tricky doubles pairing from Watertown.”
The coach gives credit to the consistency of the team, especially their singles players. “Our trio Daniel, Joseph, and Andy have been extremely consistent this season when it comes to practicing hard, not missing matches, and playing with reliable baseline levels of play. I’m confident they’ll continue to lead us to more wins.”
Despite a loss to Lexington on Monday, coach Stallings credits Melrose for their valiant effort. “All of our guys showed up and made them earn their wins. I was particularly proud of the effort from our doubles guys in this match. Gautik Singh and Alec Truesdale played some awesome points against Lexington’s 1st Doubles and so did Grady Kamosa and Colin Cote at 2nd Doubles. I’m optimistic that our play in this match will carry over into the matches we have going forward, as the boys were able to see that they’re capable of high-level play against even the best competition we’ll face.”
Still, winning 4 of 5 matches is exactly the kind of momentum Melrose needs as they embark in their last stretch of the season.
“We’re playing with complete team effort. Our first two wins before break came as the result of several players stepping up and filling in to earn us doubles wins, in particular: Anatoly Heimowitz, Damien Wittebol, Jameson Cunningham, and Aiden Ryan. Our wins against Stoneham and Watertown I’d attribute to having our full Varsity roster back together and the boys playing with more desire to beat teams we know we’re capable of beating.”
“With eight matches left, we are focused on avoiding lapses in our effort and level of play. All of our matches the rest of the way are winnable and we will be in full control of our results since they will depend on our effort and our composure against strong levels of competition.”