Two of the top singles competitors in Section 8A took the tennis court to battle on Tuesday as Minnewaska senior Tate Reichmann and Osakis junior Isaac Maddock went toe-to-toe.
Reichmann is the defending section champion who won a match at the 2021 MSHSL state singles tournament. He had a 13-2 record for the 2022 season coming into Tuesday’s match, while Maddock had a perfect 10-0 record.
By winning in straight sets, 6-1, 6-0, Maddock earned one of his biggest victories.
“I just tried to do things that I would normally do to try to win, and I tried to play at his weaknesses,” Maddock said.
Going back to the beginning of the 2021 season, Maddock has a 27-2 record.
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One of his losses came to Reichmann in the 2021 regular season, while the other was to state qualifier Cameron Broadwell of Thief River Falls in the Section 8A Semifinals.
With the section tournament coming up on May 23, Maddock has his sights on the Section 8A individual title.
“He has a goal of trying to become one of the top players in this section and getting the things that go with that,” Osakis head coach Ryan Maddock said.
Ryan, Isaac’s father, says that Isaac has improved with the serve and the volley throughout this season.
“He's been able to dictate a lot and he's been aggressive,” Ryan Maddock said. “When you can just get into the net and you’re being aggressive, it puts some pressure on people.”
Isaac attributes his 11-0 start to his movement on the court.
“I think I'm moving really well and keeping my head in (the match),” Isaac said. “I think I’m giving a good attitude. I’m trying to get to every ball that I can and I’m trying to do my best.”
Reichmann’s record now sits at 13-3 as he continues to navigate a schedule full of tough opponents.
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Isaac says this win gives him more confidence as the regular season begins to wind down.
“He’s a great opponent,” Ryan Maddock said about Reichmann. “Tate’s as good of a player as he is a person. It helps playing against people like that because you actually don't get into any type of argument or anything. The kids, they're just able to get up there and play. He’s a fantastic player and person.”
Minnewaska head coach Tara Reichmann says she expects Tate to bounce back well from this loss.
“This probably wasn't his (Tate’s) best showing, but he also played one of the best kids in the state,” Tara Reichmann said. “Tate's one of the best kids in the state and he has been rated number three in the state throughout the year.”
Tara Reichmann said that Tate faced a player in Maddock who is being overlooked as one of the best singles players in Minnesota.
“Isaac Maddock has been underrated the whole time,” she said. “(Osakis) hasn’t played a lot of big teams with big number ones, but Isaac Maddock is as good of a one as anybody I've seen all year. Give credit to Maddock because he played a heck of a match.”
Both Tate and Isaac help make for what should be a very competitive 8A singles tournament.
“We just have a lot of good number one singles players in our section,” Tara Reichmann said. “And on any given day, if one of them's a little off, they could get beat.”
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Tuesday’s match went Isaac Maddock’s way, but both coaches said things could go either way later down the line, should they meet in the section tournament.
“It’s hard to say,” Tara Reichmann said. “Maddock is a great player and so is Tate. I think they're both capable of beating each other on any given day. I guess we'll just have to see if they match up and see how it goes.”
