Notre Dame’s Aidan Redner takes aim at state title in boys’ singles
Staff photo by Larry Sullivan II / Notre Dame's Aiden Redner plays in the singles tournament for Division II-A boys' tennis during TSSAA Spring Fling competition Thursday at the Champions Club. Redner won in the quarterfinals and the semifinals and will go for the title Friday. Staff photo by Larry Sullivan II / Notre Dame's Aiden Redner plays in the singles tournament for Division II-A boys' tennis during TSSAA Spring Fling competition Thursday at the Champions Club. Redner won in the quarterfinals and the semifinals and will go for the title Friday.
Notre Dame junior tennis player Aidan Redner was able to gain some valuable state tournament experience earlier this week, albeit in a loss.
The Fighting Irish qualified for the TSSAA Division II-A boys’ team tournament in Spring Fling competition but were defeated 4-0 in their semifinal by Lausanne, the eventual champion. Redner, playing at No. 1 singles that day, dropped the first set 6-4 but was battling in the second set while down 4-3 when the match was called with the overall outcome for the teams decided.
That experience came in handy during the first day of the DII-AA boys’ singles tournament Thursday, also at the Champions Club, when a cool, calm and collected Redner battled to a quarterfinal win over Lausanne eighth grader Zoravar Sandhu, 5-7, 6-4, 12-10, before having a much easier time with University School of Jackson freshman Erick Brasfield, with the Notre Dame standout winning 6-2, 6-4 to advance to Friday’s final.
Redner’s opponent in the 9 a.m. match will be Jackson Christian senior Jack Veazey, who had a somewhat similar path to the final, although flipped, as he won his first match in straight sets before having to survive a tiebreaker third set in the semifinal round.
Staff photo by Larry Sullivan II / CSLA freshman tennis player Aahil Bhagyaraj reached the semifinals of the Class A boys’ singles tournament Thursday at the Champions Club before coming up short of advancing to Friday’s title round.Staff photo by Larry Sullivan II / CSLA freshman tennis player Aahil Bhagyaraj reached the semifinals of the Class A boys’ singles tournament Thursday at the Champions Club before coming up short of advancing to Friday’s title round.Staff photo by Larry Sullivan II / Notre Dame’s Aiden Redner plays in the singles tournament for Division II-A boys’ tennis during TSSAA Spring Fling competition Thursday at the Champions Club. Redner won in the quarterfinals and the semifinals and will go for the title Friday.Staff photo by Larry Sullivan II / Notre Dame’s Aiden Redner plays in the singles tournament for Division II-A boys’ tennis during TSSAA Spring Fling competition Thursday at the Champions Club. Redner won in the quarterfinals and the semifinals and will go for the title Friday.Staff photo by Larry Sullivan II / Notre Dame’s Aiden Redner plays in the singles tournament for Division II-A boys’ tennis during TSSAA Spring Fling competition Thursday at the Champions Club. Redner won in the quarterfinals and the semifinals and will go for the title Friday.
In Redner’s case, he has a chance to become the first tennis state champion for Notre Dame since J.R. Davis and Charles Jabaley won in doubles in 2014, as well as the first in singles since John Dorris in 2010.
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