Mahtomedi junior Sam Rathmanner tried three times and succeeded when it mattered most.
Rathmanner upset top-ranked Collin Beduhn of Wayzata 7-5, 6-1 on Thursday in the quarterfinals of the boys tennis state tournament at the Baseline Tennis Center.
"It was the most fun match I have ever played in," said Rathmanner, ranked sixth in the final Class 2A poll of the season. "The energy in the building was unmatched. It was unlike anything I have ever experienced."
It avenged two regular-season losses to Beduhn.
"When you get to the upper echelon of tennis, it's tough to beat somebody three times," Mahtomedi coach Aaron Freer said. "We knew Sam could hang with him."
Rathmanner was one of two players to take Beduhn to a three-set tiebreaker this season, losing 4-6, 6-4, 11-9. Beduhn also defeated Rathmanner 7-5, 6-2.
"All the matches were relatively similar," Rathmanner said. "I was able to come through at key times today. Whenever there was a pressure point in the match, I was able to get it."
Beduhn, who stands 6-7 and wins with power, helped Wayzata to the team championship a day earlier with a 7-6, 6-4 victory over No. 5 Tej Bhagra of Rochester Mayo in a 5-2 Trojans triumph in the finals.
"We knew he played a long match yesterday with Tej, so I wanted to try and lengthen the points," Rathmanner said. "I think he got more tired as the match went on."
Rathmanner beat senior Konner Gunwall of Chanhassen 6-3, 6-1 in the opening round. Gunwall had climbed as high as No. 7 in the rankings during the season.
"Sam did a good job of executing his game plan," Freer said.
Rathmanner will face Edina senior Nolan Ranger in the semifinals Friday morning. Ranger was tied with Rathmanner at No. 6 in the final rankings.
Defending Class 2A champion Matthew Fullerton also reached the semifinals, defeating Mounds View's Soren Swenson 6-0, 6-2 in the quarterfinals after Lakeville North's Anthony Scheglowski took him to three sets, 2-6, 6-0, 6-3, in the first round.
Fullerton, who defeated Beduhn in a four-hours-plus singles state final in 2022, will play St. Paul Harding's Ashton Adesoro in the semifinals. Fullerton is ranked second, having lost a match and the top ranking to Beduhn during the regular season.
In Class 1A, the top four seeds all won their first two matches in straight sets to advance to the semifinals. Osakis senior Isaac Maddock is the No. 1 seed.
