MINNEAPOLIS-While the results where the same, the play was improved.
For the second straight season, Tanner Lundberg finished 0-2 at the Class 2A state singles tournament Thursday at Baseline Tennis Center.
The Brainerd Warriors' junior opened with a 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 loss to Duluth East's Elliot Schneider.
"The play was better, definitely better," said Warriors head coach Bruce Thompson. "Tanner stepped up his game. He hit a lot of good shots. We played better, but down here the competition is so good. You have 16 of the best players down here."
Schneider went on to lose to No. 2 seeded Sebastian Vile of Rochester Mayo 6-0, 6-2.
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But Lundberg also lost his next match to Minnetonka's Ben Wheaton 6-3, 6-0.
"He learned that there is still more to do," said Thompson. "Everybody down here has a big forehand and a big serve and he's learned that he has work to do to get a bigger forehand and a more powerful serve. The rest of his game is good. He did a lot of things well today, but that's two things he learned he needs to get better at."
Lundberg finishes the season with a 29-4 record.
"He has to be happy with his season," Thompson said. "But at the same point he knows there is still work to do. He wants to win a match down here or matches. He's a great kid. It's always a relentless task to keep improving your skills, but you have to keep working on it and he does. He never quit competing today. No matter what the score was he kept hustling and kept hitting the ball and that's what we like about him."
Singles
Opening round: Elliot Schneider (Duluth East) def. Tanner Lundberg (Brainerd) 2-6, 6-3, 6-4
Consolation quarterfinals:Ben Wheaton (Minnetonka) def. Lundberg 6-2, 6-0.
