Ludlowe girls tennis falls at Newtown in L quarters

Fairfield Ludlowe girls tennis coach John Reisert knows beating a team twice in the same season is not easy.

He also learned it the hard way on Wednesday.

The fifth-seeded Falcons' season ended in a 5-2 loss to No. 4 Newtown in the Class L quarterfinals in Newtown.

The Nighthawks avenged a May 4 defeat at Ludlowe. The Falcons also beat Newtown 5-2, but Reisert believes that put his club at a disadvantage on Wednesday.

"It's tough to beat a team twice. They could play with less pressure," Reisert said. "The advantage is always with the team who was not victorious."

Newtown also sported a different lineup than in May, the Nighthawks took three of the four singles matches and two of three doubles.

"They had some girls that didn't play the first time," Reisert said. "At full-strength, they're a formidable team."

Newtown advanced to Thursday's Class L semifinals against top-seeded Greenwich. The winner advanced to Friday's finals.

"Class L is the deepest class in the state," Reisert said.

The Falcons finished their year 17-4 and Reisert could not be more happy with his team's performances.

"We exceeded everyone's expectations, including mine," Reisert said. "We understand regular season success, now we can improve on postseason success."

ppickens@bcnnew.com; twitter.com/Pat_Pickens