Escanaba Junior Connor Howes looks to return a groundstroke against Negaunee on April 22, 2024 at Abrahamson Courts. (Adam Hinch/Daily Press)

ESCANABA — Monday was the start of tennis season for Escanaba. The Eskymos played host to Negaunee on its home curts.

Esky won two of the eight matches picking up wins in the four singles and two doubles matches.

Esky’s Loic Fletcher had his match go three sets winning the first set 6-4 over Negaunee’s Gavin Store and losing the second set after leading early in the set and won the third set 6-0. “It was kind off stressful out there,” Fletcher said. “It takes a lot energy, but I felt great at the end.”

Esky junior Connor Howes is transitioning to the No. 1 singles after playing number four doubles last season.

Howes dropped the first set 6-4 but made a good comeback from being down 5-2 in the set. Howes dropped the second set 6-0 to Gavin Saunders of Negaunee.

“It’s a big jump for sure,” Howes said. “The game is a lot faster and you have the whole court instead of half of it.”

The Eskymos other win came as senior David Romps and junior Alex Morgan captured the No. 2 doubles match in a pair of dramatic sets winning the first set 7-6 by tie-breaker and taking the second set 6-4.

“It felt really good out there today,” Romps said. “I was kind off nervous coming in because we lost a lot of seniors, but I feel we did a good job today.”

The Eskymos are young and have a majority of its 2024 are adjusting to new roles and new partners in doubles action.

“They all had fun today,” Eskymos coach Tom Penagor said. “They competed but hard lot of matches didn’t go our way, although these kids are working hard and we get to come back tomorrow and continue to improve on areas that we need to work on.”

Singles

No. 1 — Saunders, N def. Howes, 6-4, 6-0; No. 2 — Kumpala, N def. Cousineau, 6-0, 6-1; No. 3 — Harris, N def. Brazeau, 6-1, 7-5; No. 4 — Fletcher, E def. G. Store, 6-4, 5-7, 6-0.

Doubles

No. 1 — Thomson-Johnson, N def. Chaillier-Lord, 6-2, 6-3; No. 2 — Romps-Morgan, E def. Holmgren-Lasimodere, 7-6, 6-4; No. 3 — Guenette-O’dovero, N def. Prey-Fulsher, 6-3, 6-3; No.4 — Walters-C. Store, N def. Garcia-Gardner, 6-0, 6-0.