The tension, intensity and excitement grew with each game and set during Wednesday’s match between rivals Greenwich and Darien in the CIAC Class LL Tournament semifinals and after six matches were completed, all eyes were focused on the No. 3 singles matchup – a match that decided who would travel to Wesleyan University for the finals and which team would remain home.

In a hard-fought match in which both players had their moments, Greenwich sophomore Manuel Galli Specos prevailed, putting the undefeated Cardinals into the match they’ve had their sights set all season on reaching – the Class LL Tournament final.

Galli Specos defeated Darien freshman Rithik Melwani in three sets, 6-0, 5-7, 6-3 and No. 1-seeded host Greenwich edged No. Darien, 4-3, in an outstanding Class LL semifinal-round match.

The atmosphere was indeed, intense, as Galli Specos and Melwani battled for each point, displaying strong groundstrokes and serves.

When Specos won the final point in the third set to clinch the match he ran to his teammates, who swarmed him on the court in celebration of a trip to the state championship match.

“It was pretty heartbreaking to lose that second set, but it helped me that the whole team was cheering for me like crazy,” Galli Specos said. “My serve was great for me, which helped me a lot.”

“When I won that last point, I was so focused I didn’t even realize it at first,” he added. “Then, I saw everyone coming over to me. It was very exciting.”

The Cardinals, who have a record of 21-0 on the season, are playing archrival Staples today in the CIAC Class LL final at Wesleyan University in Middletown. Staples, which is seeded 12th, was victorious against Greenwich in last season’s state championship match and won the state title from 2017 to 2019, while the Cardinals finished as the runner-up. The Wreckers pulled out a 4-3 win over top-seeded and previously undefeated Fairfield Prep in Wednesday’s other Class LL semifinal.

Indeed, the Cardinals and Wreckers share quite a history in the state tournament, they shared the Class LL title in 2016, when the tourney’s results were based on points from individual performances and from 2006 until 2014, either Greenwich or Staples placed first or second in the state tournament.

Overall, Greenwich has captured 13 state tennis titles and hopes to add to that impressive number when it meets longtime FCIAC competitor Staples in today’s 3 p.m. championship match.

“Staples is always tough, we beat them twice this year, but you never know what could happen in states, it’s a whole new ballgame,” Greenwich senior captain/No. 1 singles player Dylan Atkinson said. “We have to be at our best again.”

Coached by Ray Marschall, the Cardinals registered a 7-0 regular-season win over the Wreckers, before beating them in the FCIAC Tournament, 4-0. In Wednesday’s No. 1 singles match, Atkinson won his match against Darien senior Sam Donnelly, 6-2, 6-0.

“I knew it was going to be a tough match, he started off strong it was 2-all in the first set and then, my buddies showed up from our rugby team and they got me back into the match, they got me to get louder,” Atkinson noted. “That sort of pushed me over the edge and I didn’t lose another game. I felt I was playing so strong – both sides – forehand and backhand and I served decent.”

Darien received a victory at second singles from senior Teddy Callery, who defeated GHS freshman Volodymyr Dombrovskyi, 6-1, 6-1 and senior Kyle Patrick, who got past Cardinals senior David Karetsky, in a well-played match at third singles, 6-4, 6-4.

The Cardinals, were obviously, reliant on Galli Specos to rise to the important occasion in order to reach the state title match and the sophomore did so.

In Greenwich’s 4-3 regular-season victory against Darien, Atkinson had the match-clincher and last week’s FCIAC Tournament semifinals saw the Cards’ No. 3 doubles team win the deciding match.

“It’s a tribute that we played them three times and we won each time by a single match and it was the last match each time,” Marschall noted. “The Darien program is top-notch. They have a great coach and an amazing set of players. We both bring out the best in each other. The passion that both schools have for the sport is great.”

In doubles action, junior Harrison Wolfe and sophomore Rohan Mittal (No. 2) and junior Bruce Lunder and sophomore Alex Salib each posted crucial victories in their respective matches.

Wolfe/Mittal converted several key break points on their way to topping Darien’s Dallas White/Gordon Washburn, 6-4, 6-3 at second doubles. The Cardinals duo has excelled throughout the season with their playing styles splendidly complementing each other. Greenwich is relying on more of the same from their No. 2 doubles squad today in the championship showdown versus Staples.

Lunder/Salib gave the Cards a 3-2 advantage in the match when they earned a 6-2, 6-1 win at the No. 3 doubles spot.

“It’s a relief, especially since this is one of the toughest matches we are going to play,” Lunder said of making it to the finals. “We took the adjustments that we made from the match when we won FCIACs and we came into this match starting strong.”

“This feels great, we’ve been talking about getting to the finals since the beginning of the season, it was a dream, now it’s reality,” Salib said. “This was the biggest doubles win for us until the finals.”

Darien’s doubles win came at No. 1, where junior Will Donnelly and Aidan White edged Greenwich seniors Cai Jain and Nick O’Brien in a tough three-setter, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. The win tied the match at 3-3, setting the scene for the No. 4 singles matchup with an appearance in the finals at stake.

Jain and O’Brien have lost only two matches all season at the No. 1 doubles spot, both of which came against Darien. The win marked Greenwich’s final home match of the season and fittingly, the seniors, who have meant so much to the program, left the court victorious in their final home match of their respective Cardinals careers.