Ankeny Centennial senior Caleb Peterson was hoping to get off the courts as quickly as possible during the opening day of the boys’ state tennis tournament on Tuesday.
Mission accomplished.
The top-seeded Peterson won his first two matches in the Class 2A singles division without dropping a game at the University of Iowa Tennis Complex in Iowa City. He posted a 6-0, 6-0 win over Chris Wailes of Council Bluffs Lincoln in the first round, then followed with another double bagel against Jonathan Fan of Iowa City West in the quarterfinals.
“I’m very happy with how I played,” said Peterson, who improved his record to 19-0 on the season. “I think it was important to spend the least amount of time on court as possible to save my legs and my energy.”
Peterson is looking to become the first state champion in Ankeny tennis history. He placed fifth in singles last year after finishing sixth in doubles as a sophomore in 2021.
“Caleb played really well. He just put his head down and took care of business,” said Centennial coach Tami Lewton. “Hopefully, he will play that well (Wednesday).”
The top four seeds in the singles bracket all advanced to the semifinals without dropping a set. Peterson will face sophomore Anthony Schulte of Cedar Rapids Prairie at 10 a.m.
“I’ve played Schulte maybe once or twice,” Peterson said. “He’s a strong player with a good backhand so I’m very excited to play him.”
Second-seeded Kaden Taylor of Waukee Northwest will meet No. 3 Quinn Monson of Waukee, his former teammate, in the other semifinal. It will be a rematch of last year’s third-place match, which was won by Taylor.