By TAYLOR TUBBS
News-Sun correspondent
SEBRING - Experiencing fierce competition is a factor that will benefit any team in the long run.
It is also important to have those matches for a team that can serve as confidence boosters.
The Avon Park Red Devils and the Sebring Blue Streaks each got a benefit out of their match on Tuesday afternoon at the Sebring courts.
Sebring was able to nearly sweep the courts by winning all of the singles matches and one of the doubles.
However Avon Park Coach Lucky Dixon was still able to see a positive side.
"On any given day, we could have beat some of the Sebring players. It's an intimidation factor with Sebring. It's a mental thing."
Connor Angell of Sebring was able to take the No. 1 Singles match in a perfect game, winning 6-0, 6-0 over Avon Park's Eric Parker.
During the No. 2 Singles match, Avon Park saw a glimmer of hope when Javanghn Wells took on Blue Streak Joseph DeGenero.
Wells prevailed over DeGenero in the first set with an exciting tiebreaker of 7-6.
DeGenero was able to redeem himself by winning the second set 6-4 and stealing the third and final set in a perfect comeback of 6-0.
Milind Khurana of Sebring won the No. 3 singles match over Avon Park's Rhett Tyler in 6-1, 6-2.
The No. 4 and No. 5 matches played out in a similar manor with Sebring prevailing over Avon Park as Clark Farmer took a 6-2, 6-2 win.
Then, Andrew Baldridge had a close first set against Avon Park's Charles Sutherland at 6-4, but was able to close the match with a 6-0 win in the second set.
In the first doubles match, Khurana and Angel prevailed over Avon Park 8-1.
But Avon Park was able to win their first match of the night over Sebring's Farmer and Baldridge 8-6.
"We've had a couple guys that had to quit the team," said Sebring coach Jack Holt. "But we all come out and practice hard five days a week. It's a good group of boys."
As both teams look to work out the kinks in the tennis game, they can look forward to a full season in front of them.
A similar scenario played out for the lady squads of both teams as the Lady Blue Streaks swept their Red Devil counterparts Monday.
Ashley Castelli got a win over Katheryn Welch, 6-2, 6-0 at No. 1 Singles, while Teaoni Coker won over Alejandra Mendoza at No. 2, 6-0, 6-0.
At No. 3, Amanda Rios didn't give up a game in a 6-0, 6-0 win against Jocelyn Jackson and Angie Patino overcame a first-set challenge from Katrina Serbul to take a 6-4, 6-0 win.
Mackenzie Holmes won in a default at No. 5.
In doubles action, Coker and Rios teamed up for a 6-0, 6-0 win over Welch and Mendoza at No. 1, with Sarah Beth Rogers joined Holmes for a 6-1, 6-0 win against Jackson and Serbul.
The Sebring boys traveled to Haines City on Tuesday for an away meet while the girls faced the Lady Hornets at home.
The Devils were also on the road Tuesday, against Okeechobee.
News-Sun Sports Editor Dan Hoehne contributed to this article.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013 - www.newssun.com/WED-2-13-13-APSebTennis