Second chances don’t come around very often in the world of sports at any level.

The majority of athletes/teams have a difficult time returning to championship form in back-to-back seasons, regardless of talent or experience. Bellevue Wolverines junior tennis player Zach Fleischman, who lost to Garfield’s Oscar Burney in the Class 3A state singles championship match in 2015, had a rare opportunity to redeem himself in the 2016 Class 3A championship match.

Fleischman delivered with everything on the line, cruising to a 2-0 (6-1, 6-1) triumph in the title match against Seattle Prep’sAaron Yuan on May 28 in the Tri-Cities. Fleischman was determined not to be rattled by the spectacle of the title match this time around.

“I wasn’t too nervous since I played in the state title last year. I was more nervous then (last season), because I didn’t know there was going to be a ton of people in the stands watching. Coming into this year I knew what to expect. I was pretty prepared,” Fleischman said. “I just wanted to try my best and do the best I could. I ended up winning it all.”

Fleischman thoroughly enjoys the thrill of the one-on-one battles of singles action on the court.

“What I think is so unique about tennis is that you are pretty much on your own and you don’t have a team to support you.When you win or if you lose, it is all on you. I really like that,” he said. “That is what makes tennis just so challenging, but I love it.”

The state champ is undecided if he will pick up the tennis racquet during his senior year of high school.

“I still haven’t decided if I’m going to play next year, but if I do of course I want to try to win the title,” Fleischman said.