Alconbury's Ana Alejandro Diez reaches up to hit a ball at the net during a pool-play match with teammate Gabriella Pantoja against Naples' Rita Harroum and Ariana Swain during the first day of the 2025 DODEA European tennis championship on Oct. 23, 2025, at the T2 Sports Health Club in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
WIESBADEN, Germany — Ramstein’s Gianna Tak needed a few seconds to process the first-day results in her girls singles pool at the 2025 DODEA European tennis championships Thursday.
The Royal senior just defeated Brussels’ Adrianne Chezik 8-4 to improve to 2-1 on the day. Chezik, also a senior, defeated Wiesbaden’s Rinnah Kim earlier in the day 8-6. Kim, meanwhile, opened the tournament with an 8-6 victory over Tak.
“I did not know about that,” Tak said of Chezik’s win over Kim.
Considering how chaotic Pool B was, nobody can blame her.
By the time action ended at the T2 Sports Health Club, nobody in the five-person group was eliminated from contention. Even last-place Sophia Rainey of Vicenza at 0-2 still had a chance — albeit slim — to make the semifinals. Both Chezik and Kim left Thursday at 1-2.
The only thing set in stone was Stuttgart’s Bella Farias qualified for the knockout rounds after going 3-0 on the day. The second seed didn’t have a cakewalk, though, needing an extra game to defeat Rainey 9-7 and outlasting Kim in a marathon 8-6 win.
“I’m ready to go to bed,” Farias said. “I’m so tired.”
Thursday began disastrously for Tak. The third seed made error after error against Kim, who proved to be a handful with her ability to return most balls that came over to her side.
When Tak stepped onto the court against Rainey, she limited those slip-ups en route to an 8-5 win.
Then, Tak proved she learned her lesson against Chezik, whose style of play mirrored that of Kim’s with many moonballs. The Royal said she placed the ball short to force the Brigand out of her rhythm.
“My first match, I made a lot of mistakes, which cost me that match,” Tak said. “I just forgot about it. I just didn’t think too much about it, and then I was focused on my next match. It was not a mental breakdown for me.”
Things could get particularly bizarre Friday if Farias were to defeat Tak and both Kim and Chezik were to beat Rainey. Yet everything could be made easy if the Royal were to handle her business against the Panther.
Tak doesn’t need any added motivation heading into the final pool-play match. Farias handed the Royal her first loss of the season on Oct. 18.
“It’s a rematch, so I’m pretty excited,” Tak said.
Ramstein's Gianna Tak hits the ball during a pool-play match against Brussels' Adrianne Chezik during the first day of the 2025 DODEA European tennis championship on Oct. 23, 2025, at the T2 Sports Health Club in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
Brussels' Adrianne Chezik serves during a pool-play match against Ramstein's Gianna Tak during the first day of the 2025 DODEA European tennis championship on Oct. 23, 2025, at the T2 Sports Health Club in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
Stuttgart’s Bella Farias hits the ball during a pool-play match against Wiesbaden’s Sophia Rainey during the first day of the 2025 DODEA European tennis championship on Oct. 23, 2025, at the T2 Sports Health Club in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
American Overseas School of Rome's Thomas Curci hits the ball during a pool-play match agaist SHAPE's Alejandro Cuesta during the first day of the 2025 DODEA European tennis championship on Oct. 23, 2025, at the T2 Sports Health Club in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
Wiesbaden's Rinnah Kim serves during a pool-play match against Brussels' Adrianne Chezik during the first day of the 2025 DODEA European tennis championship on Oct. 23, 2025, at the T2 Sports Health Club in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
Ansbach's Jack Lovallo hits the ball during a pool-play match against Vicenza's Jacob McGovern during the first day of the 2025 DODEA European tennis championship on Oct. 23, 2025, at the T2 Sports Health Club in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
Vicenza's Jacob McGovern serves during a pool-play match against Ansbach's Jack Lovallo during the first day of the 2025 DODEA European tennis championship on Oct. 23, 2025, at the T2 Sports Health Club in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
Ramstein's Scarlett Hosey serves during a pool-play match with teammate Brooke Vinson against Naples' Rita Harroum and Ariana Swain during the first day of the 2025 DODEA European tennis championship on Oct. 23, 2025, at the T2 Sports Health Club in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
Ramstein's Brooke Vinson reaches up to hit the ball at the net with teammate Scarlett Hosey in the background during a pool-play match during Naples' Rita Harroum and Ariana Swain during the first day of the 2025 DODEA European tennis championship on Oct. 23, 2025, at the T2 Sports Health Club in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
In the other pool, top-seeded Pennie Wolff punched her semifinal ticket with a 3-0 record. Sigonella’s Meghan Nguyen, the 10th seed, opened a race for second place by upsetting fourth-seeded Maya Mercado of Rota 8-4.
Nguyen wasn’t the only 10th seed to make her or his presence known.
American Overseas School of Rome’s Thomas Curci bounced back after an opening match loss to top-seeded Jace Martin of Kaiserslautern with wins over sixth-seeded Matthew Suber of Stuttgart (8-5) and fourth-seeded Alejandro Custa of SHAPE (8-2).
Being the last qualifier drove the Falcon. Now at 2-1, he has the inside track to make a semifinal. A win over Naples’ Yoel Lord and a Martin win over Cuesta would make it a reality.
It would be a feather in the cap for the Falcons, whose tennis program returned after a three-year hiatus.
“I was so happy, starting as a 10 seed, fresh start,” Curci said. “It gave me a lot of motivation to beat the ones on top.”
Ansbach’s Jack Lovallo also finds himself on the precipice of making the last four. He went 2-1 with wins over Marymount’s Lucas Rios, the ninth seed, and Brussels’ Liam Richard, the second seed 8-5 and 8-2, respectively.
The junior lost his opening match to third-seeded Jacob McGovern of Vicenza 8-1.
Lovallo already has doubled the number of Euros wins from last year, and a win over Lakenheath’s Jonathan Soito, the fifth seed, would give the Cougars their first boys semifinalist since the return of the program in 2023.
“A lot of nerves come into it,” Lovallo said. “I never thought I would have a chance to make the semifinals. So, now that I’m just one win away, hopefully I can make that happen.”
Ramstein's Camren Carlson, right, and teammate Bernie Novak celebrate during a pool-play match against Naples' Eyan Kim and Lucas Mellor during the first day of the 2025 DODEA European tennis championship on Oct. 23, 2025, at the T2 Sports Health Club in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
Stuttgart's Isa Suber serves during a pool-play match with teammate Ema Causevic against Naples' Rita Harroum and Ariana Swain during the first day of the 2025 DODEA European tennis championship on Oct. 23, 2025, at the T2 Sports Health Club in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
Lakenheath's Jonathan Soito prepares to hit the ball during a pool-play match against Brussels' Liam Richard during the first day of the 2025 DODEA European tennis championship on Oct. 23, 2025, at the T2 Sports Health Club in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
SHAPE's Olivia Penry hits the ball during a pool-play match with teammate Elena Accetta against Vicenza's Addie Wilson and Annika Svenson during the first day of the 2025 DODEA European tennis championship on Oct. 23, 2025, at the T2 Sports Health Club in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
Vilseck's Pennie Wolff serves during a pool-play match against Spangdahlem's Rebecca Tremel during the first day of the 2025 DODEA European tennis championship on Oct. 23, 2025, at the T2 Sports Health Club in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
Vicenza's Addie Wilson serves during a pool-play match with teammate Annika Svenson against American Overseas School of Rome's Anastasiia Litovchenko and Giulia Castellaneta during the first day of the 2025 DODEA European tennis championship on Oct. 23, 2025, at the T2 Sports Health Club in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
Vicenza’s Michael Gillett hits the ball during a pool-play match with teammate Erik Findlay against Wiesbaden’s Isaac Mason and Darren Zhuang during the first day of the 2025 DODEA European tennis championship on Oct. 23, 2025, at the T2 Sports Health Club in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
Naples' Ariana Swain can't reach a ball at the net during a pool-play match with teammate Rita Harroum against Ramstein's Scarlett Hosey and Brooke Vinson during the first day of the 2025 DODEA European tennis championship on Oct. 23, 2025, at the T2 Sports Health Club in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
Sigonella's Meghan Nguyen hits the ball during a pool-play match against AFNORTH's Sabina Kralikova during the first day of the 2025 DODEA European tennis championship on Oct. 23, 2025, at the T2 Sports Health Club in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
The comeback of the day came in the last match to finish. The No. 1 girls doubles pair from Vicenza, Addie Wilson and Annika Svenson, beat SHAPE’s Olivia Penry and Elena Accetta, the sixth seed, 9-8 (10-6).
The Cougars trailed the Spartans 7-3 before storming back.
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