With the help of some pain medication, a cold patch and the coach's spare racket, Tanner Hansen and Erik Arntsen of the Ferndale boys' tennis team won three consecutive matches to take second place on Wednesday, Oct. 26, in the Class 3A Northwest District doubles tournament and secure a spot in the state tournament.
Hansen and Arntsen defeated Meadowdale's Andrew Fijalka and Evan DeVries in straight sets 7-5, 6-4 to complete their storm through the consolation bracket and into the state tournament.
"Tennis is a game of adjustments and they had to adjust to so many conditions," Ferndale coach Rudy Vendiola said in a phone interview. "It was incredible the way they were able to make those adjustments and come through with the win."
A key adjustment came after Hansen pulled a muscle in his arm while serving. He pulled it in the second set against Fijalka and DeVries in the second round of the tournament on Tuesday. It led to Hansen and Arntsen losing the match 5-7, 3-6, 2-6.
They faced Glacier Peak's Patrick Luangrath and Jordan Hill in the first round of the consolation bracket on Wednesday. They lost the first set 4-6 with Hansen still suffering from the pain in his arm. Vendiola said they talked about forfeiting, but Hansen's brother showed up with some pain killers and a cold patch in between the first and second set.
"It was obvious he was in some pain," Vendiola said. "But his brother showed up between sets and we said we will try it one more time. We ended up winning the next two sets and you could tell he was getting stronger. He was really back on form. That was incredible."
Hansen and Arntsen then cruised past Shorewood's Trevor Cronin and Isaac Brengelmann 6-2, 6-1. It set up a rematch against Fijalka and DeVries for the right to go to state.
Then came Ferndale's next adjustment - a string on Arntsen's racket broke and Vendiola said he wasn't playing well with his substitute racket. Fortunately for Arntsen, Vendiola happened to have his own racket handy and lent it to Arntsen.
"I wouldn't have even had my racket, but the Mount Vernon player needed someone to warm up with so I had it with me," Vendiola said.
Hansen and Arntsen went on to win the match in straight sets 7-5, 6-4, and earned a slot in the state tournament.
"I couldn't believe it," Vendiola said. "I've never seen that in the 12 years I've been coaching. To get here after we talked about forfeiting at the beginning of the day was just incredible. The planets aligned. Today was very surreal for me as a coach."
