Johnny Hutley played tennis on empty Saturday.
Physically, the Skyview High junior had nothing left to give by the time his singles final at the 4A district tournament concluded at Club Green Meadows.
Then again, he estimated he had nothing left in the tank during the final set of a nearly 3-hour long match against Union’s Naman Thawani.
“I’m still in shock,” Hutley said. “Each point takes so much energy. It’s so mentally draining.
“I wanted it so badly.”
In his longest match of the season, Hutley won 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 in a match featuring match points for both players and a lengthy third set with fatigue setting in for both players.
Saturday was a new experience for Hutley. Not only did he win his first district title, but he advances to bi-districts for the first time. He placed fourth at districts in singles the past two years.
Hutley is the new face in the top singles spot for Skyview. The spot was previously occupied by two-time state champion Andrew Kabacy, the Storm’s four-year player at No. 1 singles. Kabacy was in the gallery Saturday watching ex-teammates.
Parts of Kabacy’s championship-caliber game rubbed off on Hutley. The biggest one is mental play on the court, which aided him through the back-and-forth deuce game in the third set.
“He’s the same way,” he said of Kabacy. “I learned to be mentally tough from him. That’s a big part of the game.”
Union took the team title Saturday with its top doubles team of Kyle Mosier and Jacob Flentke winning the final, Thawani runner-up at singles, and two more doubles teams facing off for third.
The top three singles players and doubles teams advance to next week’s bi-district tournament at Kent’s Boeing Tennis Center.
Mosier and Flentke were paired up in time for the postseason, cruising to sweeps on their way to the title over Camas’ Akash Prasad and Jacob Giaman. The final proved to be their toughest match with both sets needing tiebreakers 7-6 (1), 7-6 (1).
Mosier is seeking a repeat trip to state after reaching the consolation semifinals at the 4A state tournament. Flentke is a freshman.
Next week, they hope it’ll be similar as Saturday.
“We’re going to be really ready,” Mosier said, “and hopefully have the same result.”
