Exon Finds Consolation in Easter Bowl Loss

Woodbridge High’s Chase Exon would rather have won his match Tuesday than be paid a compliment after a hard-fought loss. But there is something to be said for feeling good about yourself after an opponent pays you the ultimate compliment.

“That was the toughest match I’ve ever played,” said Ryan Haviland of Sumter, S.C., who defeated Exon, 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-5), in the boys’ 18 division round of 16 at the Easter Bowl junior tennis tournament. “There were no breaks. I’ve never played a match like that. He was really a tough player.”

The eighth-seeded Exon had the same kind of praise for Haviland, who was seeded 16th.

“I couldn’t believe that,” Exon said. “He was picking stuff up off his feet. He was huge on all the big points.”

Exon played better than he did in his victory Monday over Mardy Fish of Wesley Chapel, Fla., but he had less to show for it because of Haviland’s brilliance at the net.

“My coach, Bret Garnett, was seventh in the world in doubles and he was a great volleyer,” Haviland said. “He’s trying to get me into that style like a Patrick Rafter [defending U.S. Open champion].”

Despite having to face a serve-and-volley player in windy conditions at the Riviera Resort and Racquet Club, Exon actually had his chances to win both sets. In the first set, he led the tiebreaker, 5-4, before double-faulting at 5-5 to lose the set, 5-7. In the second set, he led, 6-5 and 30-0, on Haviland’s service game. But Haviland won the next four points to force a tiebreaker. Exon lost the first point of the tiebreaker on his serve and never was able to wrestle the advantage away from Haviland.

Could Exon have done anything different?

“I needed to lob with him at the net so much, but it was hard with the wind,” Exon said. “You couldn’t tell where the ball was going. I started to do it more when the wind died down, but it was too late.”

Haviland said he owed Exon one.

“He beat me 7-5, 7-5 at the national indoors two years ago in the same kind of match,” Haviland said. “It was nice for me to pull out this one. We were dead even. I won one or two points at the end of each set. That was it.”