Rea sails through sectionals, and on to state, in straight sets

Nevada High School junior Evan Rea extends for a ball during the Class 1 District 12 tennis tournament last week in Bolivar. Rea sustained his dominance from that day at sectionals on Friday, winning in straight sets again to advance to the MSHSAA Class 1 state tourney next week in Springfield.

File Photo by Hank Layton | Daily Mail Sports Reporter

An earlier start time to the Class 1 Sectional 6 boys individual tennis tournament Friday in Mt. Vernon had no effect on Nevada High School junior Evan Rea — unless you count the one game he lost in his second set.

Other than that, the star singles player breezed by Mt. Vernon's Chase Strong in straight sets, 6-0 and 6-1, to advance to the Class 1 state tournament next week in Springfield.

"Rea played as he has all season, focused and determined," stated NHS head coach Clayton Wheeler, who watched Rea beat Strong almost as easily as he did during Rea's 8-0 shutout in their match during the regular season (though a few hours earlier in the day than Friday's original 1 p.m. start time, presumably in anticipation of inclement weather).

Wheeler estimated Rea scored 6-7 aces, with a 60% first-serve percentage and at least 95% on his second serve. Rea committed only one double fault the entire match, and most of Strong's points came off unforced errors on his opponent's part.

Rea will look to continue one of the best singles seasons in school history when he enters the Cooper Tennis Complex at 2 p.m. on Friday, May 21, when he will play in the first round of the MSHSAA Class 1 Championship.

The semifinals and state title match will then take place on Saturday, May 22.