Butler junior overcomes lull to claim WPIAL tennis title
NORTH HUNTINGDON TWP — After a great start, things started to unravel for Will Nesbitt.
The shots the Butler junior had made in winning the first set in the title match of the WPIAL Class AAA Boys Singles Tennis Championships Friday afternoon at Norwin High School were eluding him.
Nesbitt squandered a 3-0 lead in losing the second set, 6-4.
Suddenly, Nesbitt was staring at another heartbreaking defeat at the hands of an old nemesis, Bas Van Lent of Pine-Richland.
“He just hit a dry spell,” said Butler tennis coach Dave Hartzell. “It was kind of peculiar. The wheels kind of came off his game.”
Nesbitt recovered, though, and routed Van Lent in the decisive third set to win the WPIAL singles championship 6-2, 4-6, 6-1.
Van Lent had beaten Nesbitt twice already this season. But Nesbitt gathered himself after his disappointing second set and regained his form.
“He started to hit some shots and I didn't,” Nesbitt said of Van Lent's rally. “I just took a deep breath and composed myself. I got off to a fast start in the third set, so that helped.”
Nesbitt was Butler's No. 3 singles player last season and clinched the state title for the Golden Tornado with a win at the PIAA Boys Tennis Championships last spring.
This season, he was moved up to No. 1. While he has performed well in that role, the wins haven't been as easy to come by.
“He was undefeated in singles play last season until the state playoffs,” Hartzell said. “It didn't seem like he was raising his game this year until he got into the tournament.”
Everything finally clicked for Nesbitt.
Instead of having his opponent dictate play, he was dictating play to his opponent.
It all culminated with a WPIAL title.
“Each round you could see him getting better and better and more and more confident,” Hartzell said of Nesbitt, who entered the tournament as the No. 4 seed. “Before, the other guy was controlling the points.”
Nesbitt said he went into the tournament with the feeling that he had nothing to lose.
“I just felt like I was the underdog,” Nesbitt said. “I felt I needed to play very well to have a chance.
“It means a whole lot to me,” Nesbitt added. “I really didn't expect to win it.”
