From staff reports

sports@joplinglobe.com

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Joplin’s John Lazenby and Thomas Jefferson’s doubles team of Will Humphreys-Joe Newman advanced to today’s semifinal round of the MSHSAA Tennis Championships on Friday at Cooper Tennis Center.

Lazenby, a junior, knocked off district champions in the first two rounds of the Class 2 singles bracket. He edged Matt Waite of Kirkwood 7-5, 7-5 in the first round and Andrew Ellis of St. Joseph Central 6-1, 6-1 in the quarterfinals.

Waite was 28-2 entering Thursday’s team tournament semis, and Ellis was 16-3.

“A lot of coaches were saying (Waite) was the favorite to win the whole tournament,” Joplin coach Sean McWilliams said. “It was a 21/2 hour match, a tremendous battle between two good players. It was unfortunate for both players they had to play each other early on, but with the way the (MSHSAA) sets it up with no seeding, that’s what John drew.

“The second-round match was easier but not an easy match by any means. John is playing at the top of his game, peaking at the right time.”

Lazenby (29-2), a junior, plays sophomore Nishaad Balachandran of Parkway Central (20-5) in a semifinal match today at 9 a.m. Balachandran, like Lazenby, was a district runner-up and beat two district winners on Friday.

The other semifinal matches Glendale freshman Paul Nahon (30-2) against St. Louis CBC sophomore Matt Kuelker (15-2).

Joplin’s doubles team of Alan Liu-Michael McCreary went 1-2 on Friday, ending their season.

They lost to Adam and Ryan King of Lafayette (Wildwood) 7-6 (7-5), 6-2 in the first round, defeated Jonathan Kootman-Ashworth Sampath of Parkway Central 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 in the consolation bracket and lost to Corey Johnson-Alec Russell of North Kansas City 6-4, 6-4 in the consolation quarterfinals.

Liu-McCreary, two seniors who won the district crown two weeks ago, finish with a 25-7 record.

“They came out with the same attitude as John, fight as hard as they can,” McWilliams said. “They were playing real well. They ran up against some stiff competition. All three of their matches could have gone eithe rway. They had a tough draw and came out on the short end. I’m proud of how they played.”

Class 1

Thomas Jefferson’s Humphreys and Newman breezed past Alex Goel-John Stillman of John Burroughs 6-0, 6-1 in the first round, then gained a bit of team revenge with a victory over Charlie Curtis-Will McAllister of St. Louis MICDS 6-4, 6-3 in the quarterfinals.