Tess Manthou had doubts. Older brother Max had confidence.
The siblings might have been on opposite sides of the spectrum last past weekend during the Class 4A West Central District tennis tournament at Sprinker Recreation Center. But the end result has led both to the same place:
The state tournament.
“Manthou power,” said a half-serious Max, a junior who widely is considered the top singles player in the state, regardless of classification.
As luck – or in this case, talent – would have it, the Manthous will be the lone Conquerors in Kennewick for state this weekend. Both will play indoors at the Tri-City Court Club.
For Tess, the state berth wasn’t an out-of-nowhere surprise, though it wasn’t completely expected, either. The 15-year-old freshman blossomed into one of the South Puget Sound League’s elite players this spring despite spending the previous year away from the sport.
The time off left her somewhat uncertain about her abilities on the tennis court. That made last weekend’s fourth-place district finish and the accompanying state berth all the more satisfying.
“It was pretty exciting,” said Tess, who is one of Kentwood’s fastest-rising players on a different kind of court — the volleyball court, where she was recently chosen to compete at an elite-level volleyball camp this summer. “I haven’t been playing (tennis) in a while, so I didn’t know how it would go over.”
As it turned out, it went over just fine. The Kentwood freshman fended off Kentridge’s Kim Quach in the consolation final for fourth and sixth places at West Central, 7-5, 1-6, 6-1.
Matter of fact, the entire season has gone over pretty well for Tess Manthou, who came into spring somewhat in Max’s shadow, but has carved out her own capable path on the tennis court.
“I think she has made her mark,” said Kentwood coach Ingrid Bakke, who noted that Tess is the first female the program has advanced to state in her six years at the helm. “She went into the season unknown. People knew her because she played in tournaments a couple years ago and she was Max’s sister.
“She’s a different player now,” Bakke added. “She is not going to be as anonymous as she was in league. Fourth place in district, that’s a big deal.”
And then of course there is older brother Max, who essentially is The Big Deal.
The Kentwood junior will be taking aim at his third straight state title this weekend. By his own assessment, anything less would be disappointing.
“It has been the goal for the whole season,” said the 17-year-old Max, who is far from cocky, but plenty confident in his tennis ability. “Both by ranking and by my own perception, I should be the best player in the draw. To not follow through would be a letdown.”
Max, who has committed verbally to the University of Washington, entered the state tournament on Friday with only one loss in his prep career, that coming in a regular-season doubles match against Kentridge in September 2007. In singles play, he has lost no matches — and just one set — as he heads to state.
“He would have to have a very bad day to not win (the state tournament),” Bakke said.
If he does collect crown No. 3, it would put him into a group that currently numbers just eight other boys who have won three state titles. Looking long-range, it would put him in position to join an even more elite club of five others who have four titles in the books.
But this weekend is about more than a Max three-peat.
With Tess earning the cross-state trip as well, it’s about a one-of-a-kind family moment.
It’s a moment that Frank and Judi Manthou, both of whom are teachers in the Kent School District, wouldn’t miss for anything.
“It was totally unexpected — and, yes, it makes life much more convenient,” Judi said. “It’s (going to be) a really neat memory.”
Frank agreed.
“It’s one of those things that I just couldn’t dream about,” he said. “I don’t think Judi and I expected both of them to be there. Maybe next year. But with Tess being a freshman, we didn’t expect both … it’s pretty neat. We’re pretty proud.”
Manthou power, indeed.
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