Breaking ties no easy task

Dan Saab has been close to winning matches all season. He sends matches to third-set tiebreakers but keeps coming up short.

Tuesday at Hickman’s tennis courts, Saab lost his singles and doubles match in third-set tiebreakers. His team also came up short, losing to Jefferson City 6-3. Hickman (3-7) received all three points from Nate Bohon and Omeed Latifi. Bohon and Latifi won their singles matches and then won 6-3, 6-3 against brothers Josh and Zach Roling in doubles.

This season is Saab’s first and final playing at Hickman. He joined the team this season as a senior. He has talent, according to coach Jeff Moore, but both Moore and Saab say his inexperience has cost him several matches as he has matured this season.

“He has enough talent to keep himself in most matches,” Moore said. “His skill level is improving, but his inexperience shows up in tiebreakers late in matches.”

Saab won his first set of the day 6-4 in his singles match against Chris Claypool. But Claypool came back to win the second set 6-3 before outlasting Saab 10-7 in the third-set tiebreaker.

In Saab’s doubles match with teammate Justin Guevera, the result was all too similar. After losing the first set 6-1, Guevera and Saab won the second set 6-4 to send the match to a tiebreaker, where they lost 10-8.

Saab, who has a 4-9 singles record, says it gets tough during tiebreakers because he starts thinking too much.

“I play tentatively when it’s tight,” Saab said. “I can’t let the situation get in my head anymore. Hopefully, next time it will be different.”

Along with inexperience, Saab has been struggling with the mental aspect of tennis, Moore said. Moore said Saab sometimes lets mistakes affect his confidence.

“Right now he needs wins, but at this level, you play with guys who have played a long time,” Moore said. “He has to let go of his mistakes and get on to the next point. You can’t let mistakes control your game.”

Moore said he is working with Saab to improve the little parts of his game, too, which could put him over the top.

“He expects a lot of himself,” Moore said. “We will keep working to improve the little things, like footwork and approaching the net, that will put him where he wants to be.”

Saab isn’t letting the tiebreakers get him too down, though. He said he’s having a great time being on the team and knows with the season only halfway done that there is plenty of time to keep improving.

“This is my first year, and so with every match I am getting better,” Saab said. “Hopefully, by the end of the year I’ll be able to have learned enough to go out strong.”