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Riverbank Tennis Players Make Strong Effort
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Riverbank High School tennis players lost, 5-2, to Livingston on Friday as the season wound toward its end.

There was only one more league match slated, that against Patterson yesterday, before the league meet scheduled on Friday and Saturday in Merced.

In singles, Javier Contreras won 6-4, 6-2 (7-3); Matt Santin lost 2-6. 3-6; Katy Hughes lost 6-4, 4-6, 4-6; and Amber Nickles lost 2-6, 6-7 (5-7).

In doubles, Nathan Lyday and Justin Jarvis won 7-6 (7-2) by default; Allyson McHugh and Leslie Thiessen lost 6-2, 4-6, 2-6; and Tyler Burnett and Vivian Fernandez lost 4-6, 6-3, 2-6.

One upset for Livingston, Riverbank coach Bruce Edwards noted, was Contreras' win over Michael Blaine, who was uudefeated up to this point.

Riverbank also took the boys doubles match after the Livingston pair gave up. The Bruins were playing Lyday and Jarvis instead of the usual Lyday and Burnett.

"Now we have no chance of reaching sections, I'm experimenting and moving players around," said Edwards. "Burnett generally partners Jarvis. But Jarvis and Lyday are old friends. So they'll play together for the rest of the season."

The usual girls doubles pair, Cecilia Gutierrez and Rachel Soto were unable to play. Gutierrez had bruised her wrist and Soto was sick. So novice players McHugh and Thiessen got the chance to replace them.

Girls singles player Hughes, who had only lost one match all season, lost this one also to Livingston.

"She wasn't moving properly, and acknowledged she'd hadn't got enough sleep the night before," said Edwards.

The league meet will start with singles matches at 9 a.m. Friday at Merced Junior College. There will be more singles and the doubles matches on Saturday.