From dealing with hot and humid conditions to facing stellar foes across the net, players overcame challenges to pick up victories during the opening day of the annual C.C. Junior Open Tennis Tournament on Monday at the Northern State Courts.

With temps into the 90s and heavy air, a total of 17 matches were decided in super-tiebreakers, including one that ended up 15-13.

Aberdeen’s Aric Tennant was involved in two of those supers, winning one in singles and one in doubles.

The upcoming senior at Central had a typical grind-it-out match in the 18 and Under singles opening round or as he described his matches “long and super-tiebreak.”

While most people like to get off to a good start and set the tone early, Tennant doesn’t mind having to fight back like he did after dropping the opening set.

“That’s kind of just the way I play,” Tennant said. “I give 75-80 percent in that first set and then second set I have nothing to lose so I just go all in.”

Tennant had an 8-5 lead just two points away from victory when his opponent tied the score at 8-8.

“I was just trying to get it in at that point,” Tennant said. “I was panicking a little bit.”

However, in reality, Tennant was right in his comfort zone in the long, hard-fought match.

“I do a lot more tiebreakers than the normal person, just because of my play style,” Tennant said.

Tennant, who later teamed with Rhys Nielsen of Sioux Falls for a pair of doubles wins, said he uses the summer season to experiment on his game.

“A lot of the time when I’m playing in the summer, I’m trying new stuff out,” Tennant said. “Like, my serve right now is completely different than what it was during the season. I switch it up a lot.”

Tennant said his new serve was working. So does that mean he will stop tinkering with it.

“I might keep it, I might not,” Tennant said. “I’ll probably switch it at some point. It’s how long I keep it is the real question.”

Milbank’s Charlotte Swanson was involved in the 15-13 super breaker victory in the Girls 16 and Under doubles. Earlier in the day she pulled out a 10-8 win in a super in singles, fighting back after losing the opening set.

“It was rough, but I just have to keep my head up,” Swanson said of playing in the tight match. “It’s all going to be fine in the end, even if I win or lose, as long as I played a good match and stay positive.”

What made her victory all the more impressive is that the 15-year-old is competing with an injury.

“I have bunch of ribs out of place right now,” she said, “and I need to warm up my shoulder and it takes … a long while.”

When asked why she continues to play through the pain, Swanson responded, “because I love it, and I’m just kind of used to it at this point, because it just kind of slips out.”

Swanson who teamed up with her high school friend Payton Lamp in doubles, will be back in action with more matches when the tourney resumes this morning, regardless of the pain.

“It takes a lot of stretching,” Swanson said. “It is what it is, I guess.”

Aberdeen’s Jovee Waldo was on the short end of a super breaker in her 16 and Under singles match, falling 10-7.

Waldo, a key member of the Central softball team in the spring, talked about the differences in angles from swinging a baseball bat and a tennis racket.

“I struggle switching in between some times. In softball, you’re just trying to swing as hard as you can,” Waldo said. “In tennis, there’s actual mechanics to hitting the ball in, because if you just swing as hard as you can, it’s just going to go out every time.”

Waldo said she is trying to get more serious abut tennis.

“I’m going to use this off season to really work on tennis, so I can get better, because it was more of my like relaxed sport and softball was like my I have to be good sport, but now I want to be good at tennis,” Waldo said.

The 16-year-old has only been playing the sport since about the sixth grade and has grown to enjoy it and the people involved in it.

“Tennis is really fun and all the people are really nice. The community is amazing, especially in Aberdeen,” Waldo said. “We have very good values in Aberdeen I would say with our tennis community. I like to be a part of that and I want to contribute to that.”

Waldo wasn’t the only multi-sport athlete participating in the tennis tournament.

Aberdeen’s Liam Voehl plays basketball for Aberdeen Christian and tennis for Aberdeen Roncalli. The upcoming freshman fell in singles and won in doubles in the 16 and Under division.

Voehl is busy with both sports this summer.

“For basketball right now, it’s mostly just workouts, so we’re not putting too much time into it,” Voehl said, “so I got a couple of hitting sessions before I came to this tournament. But right now it’s been mostly basketball, so I’m a little rusty.”

Voehl is using his summer tennis to work on his game for next year’s season.

“It gives you a chance just to try things and go big for everything,” Voehl said. “Like, I really need to work on hitting my second serves better, not just lobbing it up to them. So this gives me an opportunity to do that.”

Action resumes at 8 this morning and will wrap up this afternoon.

BOYS’ DIVISION

12 and Under Singles

Championship: Henry Anshutz, Sioux Falls, def. Luka Mason, Grand Forks, 6-3, 6-1.

14 and Under Singles

Carson Albrecht, Aberdeen, def. Jack Spah, Aberdeen, by default; Kevin Kalb, Bismarck, def. Tobin German, Aberdeen, 6-1, 6-2; Conner Albrecht, Aberdeen def. Jace Carlin, Aberdeen, 6-0, 6-0.

16 and Under Singles

Zachary Comings, Wahpeton, def. Haydler Schiferl, 6-2, 6-3; Watson Nagel, Wahpeton, def. Liam Schiefen, Mitchell, 6-4, 6-2; Cooper Star, Mitchell, def. Comings, 6-3, 6-1; Quintilian Kruger, Valley City, def. Liam Voehl, Aberdeen, 6-1, 6-2; Caleb Stoks, Aberdeen, def. Jackson Bartels, Wahpeton, 6-3, 6-1; Nagel def. Matthew Christen, Mandan, 6-3, 6-1.

18 and Under Singles

Aric Tennant, Aberdeen, def. Gracin Kaste, Wahpeton, N.D., 3-6, 6-4, (10-8); Garnett Anderson, Wahpeton, def. Lucas DeRosier, Mandan, 6-7 (3-7), 6-3, (10-8); Cole Haugen, Valley City, def. Brandon Johnson, Mandan, by default.

16 and Under Doubles

Stoks-Voehl def. German-Schiferl, 6-3, 6-1; Albrecht-Albrecht def. Bartels-Comings, 7-6 (8-6), (10-8).

18 and Under Doubles

Schiefen-Star def. Kaste-Nagel, 7-6 (8-6), 4-6, (10-8); Nielsen-Tennant def. Haugen-Kruger, 6-4, 6-4; Anderson-Anderson def. DeRosier-Dawson Pederson, 4-6, 6-4 (10-5); Christen-Christen def. Schiefen-Star, 6-3, 6-2; Nielsen-Tennant def. Anderson-Anderson, 3-6, 6-3 (10-3).

GIRLS’ DIVISION

12 and Under Singles

(Round robin) Seneca Nielsen, Sioux Falls, def. Brooke Sprinkel, Aberdeen, 6-3, 6-2; Nielsen def. Sarah Sieber, Sioux Falls, 6-4, 6-2; Sieber def. Sprinkel, 6-0, 7-5. Champion: Nielsen. Runner-up: Sieber.

14 and Under Singles

Olivia Andersen, Bath, def. Isla Kaste, Wahpeton, 7-5, 6-2; Rhapsody Lunsetter, Wahpeton, def. Natalie Sieh, Aberdeen 6-2, 6-1.

16 and Under Singles

Leighton Guetter, Wahpeton, def. Jovee Waldo, Aberdeen, 2-6, 6-3, (10-7); Penelope Vogel, Aberdeen, def. Abigayl Sieh, Aberdeen, 6-0, 6-0; Charlotte Swanson, Milbank, def. Mia Alvear, Aberdeen, 3-6, 6-1, (10-8).

18 and Under Singles

Estelle Riggs, Aberdeen, def. Debrianna Hicks, Marvin, 6-0, 6-1; Ava Schuler, Wahpeton, def. Shelby Schmidt, 2-6, 6-3, (10-3); Ginger Gasal, def. Ravyn Skundberg, Wahpeton, 6-1, 4-6, (10-3); Jenny Pitcher, Bismarck, def. Riggs, 7-5, 5-7, (10-4); Brenna Erdmann, Wahpeton, def. Mady Holman, Aberdeen, 6-7 (4-7), 6-1, (10-6); Elise Roberts, Wahpeton, def. Schuler, 3-6, 6-2, (10-8); Sarah Knie, Aberdeen, def. Gasal, 6-0, 6-0.

14 and Under Doubles

Bohle-Sieh def. Lunsetter-Kaste, 4-6, 6-2, (10-7); Andersen-Andersen def. Nielsen-Sieber, 5-7, 7-1, (10-6); Bohle-Sieh def. Andersen-Andersen, 5-7, 6-1, (10-3).

16 and Under Doubles

(Round Robin) Lamp-Swanson def. Alvear-Dannen, 6-4, 6-0; Lamp-Swanson def. Vogel-Waldo, 6-2, 1-6, (15-13). Champion: Lamp-Swanson.

18 and Under Doubles

Pitcher-Roberts def. Holman-Guetter, 6-1, 6-0; Knie-Riggs def. Erdmann-Schuler, 7-5, 6-2.