By Cooper Chadwick
Coming off a third-place finish at state in 2023, Andover senior Elizabeth Gaddis and junior Emma Jittawait are hungry for more.
This duo has been playing together for two years – Jittawait and Gaddis both have been dominant, Jittawait with a 52-12 record and Gaddis 62-18 – and their relationship on the court benefits them tremendously.
“We really understood each other. We know each other’s games and the shots that we do and don’t like. I also think we have a good connection. We can be serious and focus on the court, but we can also
laugh and have fun,” Jittawait said.
Jittawait and Gaddis’ connection doesn’t stop when they leave a practice or match.
“Emma and I have a strong bond that is shown off and on the court. She’s a person I know I can put full trust in and won’t disappoint. She’s one of the only people who could keep me into tennis when I felt as if it was starting to flake,” Gaddis said.
Offseason is a crucial time for the duo, spending a majority of their time training, weightlifting and even just playing. Both had specific aspects they wanted to work on for the summer.
“Specifically on strategy. I wanted more experience on what to do in higher stress situations. The only way to exercise this is to play matches and figure it out on your own,” Jittawait said.
Gaddis and Jittawait, as well as the rest of the Andover tennis team, are looking to complete a four-peat at state, all while growing their bonds with each other.
“I’m very excited to meet the new players and see how they play. Our team always gets along and I’ve never had a dull moment with them,” Gaddis said.
