After the fifth-seeded Trojans swept doubles action, fourth-seeded New Ulm needed everything it could get out of its singles players in order to pull out the win. But after battling back from a tough first set to win Set 2 in a tiebreaker at No. 4 singles, New Ulm’s Nico Del Castillo Diez fell short to Aiden Day in the third set to clinch the win for the Trojans. Day won 6-1, 6-7 (4), 6-0.

After that, New Ulm’s No. 3 singles player Isaac Dittmer gave New Ulm fans in attendance a win to go home with after pulling out a tough three-set win over Logan Gutzmer, who forced Dittmer to win two sets in tiebreakers. Dittmer won 7-6 (2), 1-6, 7-6 (6).

New Prague will play at top-seeded Shakopee on Wednesday with the win, while New Ulm will await the section individual tournament.

New Ulm’s first win of the day came from No. 2 singles player Dan Brownfield, who took down Evan Otremba in two sets 6-2, 6-1.

Staff photo by Travis Rosenau New Ulm’s Charlie Weidman returns a shot during a No. 1 singles match against New Prague’s Lasse Mies Tuesday in a Section 2AA playoff match at New Ulm High School.

“His drop shots were good, made me run a lot, got me tired,” Brownfield said of his opponent. “So that was kind of hard to go against.”

Brownfield was happy to run, however, and have the added pressure of it being a playoff match.

“Little bit more pressure, but my serves were going in, that’s always good,” Brownfield said. “Just trying to hit it over, hit it in, he’ll make the mistake first.”

No. 1 singles player Charlie Weidman was next up in the win column for New Ulm, defeating a towering German foreign exchange student with a powerful serve in Lasse Mies. The 16-year old German made Weidman work for every point in the first set, but eventually Weidman was able to wear him down enough to pull out the win in two sets, winning 7-6 (8), 6-2.

“He definitely has a different spin to the ball,” Weidman said. “He kicks up every time he hits a forehand or serve and it’s so strong.”

Staff photo by Travis Rosenau New Ulm’s Dan Brownfield competes in No. 2 singles action during a Section 2AA boys tennis playoff match against New Prague on Tuesday at New Ulm High School.

Weidman said Mies’ serve kept him up against the fence throughout most of the match, but he

“I think he got a little tired of it because I would just return everything he was throwing at me,” Weidman said. “And he eventually got sick of it, I think.”

Earlier in the playoff match, New Prague got an early 1-0 lead with a win at No. 2 doubles when Caleb Stocker and Carson Sayler defeated Thomas Lehne and Wyatt Feucht 6-1, 6-0. New Prague also got a win at No. 3 doubles when Isaiah Podratz and Kane Johnson defeated Britton Beran and Hayden Owens 6-2, 6-4. Ben VonBank and Connor Seeland defeated Ian Schotzko and Eli Dorschner 6-0, 6-3 at No. 1 doubles.

New Ulm now turns its attention to the section individual tournament, which will begin May 23 at Gustavus Adolphus College.

With added pressure and competition ahead in the individual tournament, Weidman said he’s tried to change mindset since the beginning of the season when it comes to playing tougher competition.

“I think I got a little bit bothered by losing to some of the really good opponents in the beginning of the season,” Weidman said. “But I just had to remind myself that everyone’s the No. 1 who I’m playing, so I’ve just got to keep trying my best.”

As for Brownfield, he’s gotten more confident as the season has progressed and he’s looking forward to putting it all together in the section individuals.

“Everything’s gotten more consistent,” Brownfield said. “My serve’s been getting better, forehand, backhand, it’s all just getting a little better.”