Lawrence High’s John Legler didn’t care that his style of play Tuesday wasn’t pretty or even fun to watch for that matter.

At least he wasn’t getting creamed.

After quickly finding himself down 3-0 to Topeka Seaman’s Nolan Miller in his first varsity match, Legler knew he’d better do something, and fast.

Well, okay, make that slow.

“The other guy was kicking his butt in a hurry,” said LHS coach Dick Wedel. “So I told him to go out there and slow it down, lob every ball 10 feet or higher over the net. He listened.”

And for a while Wedel’s strategy worked, as a clearly flustered Miller had several miscues against Legler’s slow-tempo tennis. But in the end Miller easily took care of Legler for an 8-2 victory at Lawrence Tennis Center.

The defeat was one of three losses Legler suffered as he also lost twice in doubles during the quadrangular, which featured Lawrence defeating both Topeka West and Topeka Seaman by a 3-1 score while being blanked, 4-0, by Shawnee Heights.

But Legler, a senior, isn’t playing for victories. Instead the standout swimmer, who took home two top-10 finishes earlier this year at the state swim meet, said he came out for the fun of it and to play with his senior buddies.

“I was having some fun today,” Legler said with a smile, adding some of his senior pals probably got a little bored with his snail’s pace. “I had to try something.”

That’s also as good a reason to describe Legler’s decision to pick up a racquet again after tearing the meniscus in his right knee two years ago in a casual game during the summer.

“I wanted to come out here, hit the ball around with my friends and have some fun,” he said.

Legler said this season has been a blast so far, despite a lack of varsity playing time. But Wedel said the senior adds a less obvious role to the Lions’ young team, which is now 5-5.

“He’s been around this place for a while and he knows what it means to compete for your school,” Wedel said. “He’s added some leadership, that’s for sure.”

After being the lone singles winner in Monday’s showdown with Free State, Scott Elwell picked up a pair of wins on Tuesday, but lost a highly competitive match to Shawnee Heights’ Tyler Kinder to stretch his record to 10-2.

The Lions’ doubles team of juniors Galo Salcedo and Andre Grolli also went 2-1 Tuesday to improve to 3-2 on the season as Wedel continued to mix different lineup combinations.

He’ll get a chance to shuffle the cards again on Thursday when the Lions take on Blue Valley West and Olathe North at LTC.