Winchester Thurston doubles team advances to PIAA boys tennis semifinals
Tym Hoban and Alex Kietz didn't grow up in the same school district. They aren't even from the same country.
But on the tennis court, it's as if they're twins.
Hoban, a Fox Chapel native, and Kietz, an exchange student from Germany, are in the PIAA Class AA doubles semifinals. The duo of juniors at Winchester Thurston beat Bryce Jones and Jake DeAngelo of South Williamsport, 6-2, 6-1, in the first round Friday morning at the Hershey Racquet Club. Hoban and Kietz, the WPIAL runners up, then beat Warren's Matt Sandberg and Thomas Pellegrino, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3, in the quarterfinals Friday afternoon.
"There's a lot of chemistry there as far as complementing each other, and it shows," Winchester Thurston coach Leslie Leopold said "Each of them knows where the other one is and needs to be on the court. They just have clicked from the very beginning."
Hoban and Kietz will face Will Cognetti and Walker Temperton of Scranton Prep in the semifinals 9 a.m. today in Hershey.
The only other player from the East area playing in the PIAA championships this weekend, Allderdice's Jesse Irwin, lost in the first round of the Class AAA singles tournament to State College senior Blake Gregory.
But on the tennis court, it's as if they're twins.
Hoban, a Fox Chapel native, and Kietz, an exchange student from Germany, are in the PIAA Class AA doubles semifinals. The duo of juniors at Winchester Thurston beat Bryce Jones and Jake DeAngelo of South Williamsport, 6-2, 6-1, in the first round Friday morning at the Hershey Racquet Club. Hoban and Kietz, the WPIAL runners up, then beat Warren's Matt Sandberg and Thomas Pellegrino, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3, in the quarterfinals Friday afternoon.
"There's a lot of chemistry there as far as complementing each other, and it shows," Winchester Thurston coach Leslie Leopold said "Each of them knows where the other one is and needs to be on the court. They just have clicked from the very beginning."
Hoban and Kietz will face Will Cognetti and Walker Temperton of Scranton Prep in the semifinals 9 a.m. today in Hershey.
The only other player from the East area playing in the PIAA championships this weekend, Allderdice's Jesse Irwin, lost in the first round of the Class AAA singles tournament to State College senior Blake Gregory.
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