HHS improves to 2-0 on season.
By: Neil Hay
After starting the season with a 5-0 win over Nottingham back on April 1, the weather and schedule conspired to keep the Hightstown tennis team off the courts until this past Tuesday.
The long wait was more than worth it.
In improving to 2-0 with a 3-2 win at home over West Windsor-North, Hightstown accomplished a couple of tasks. The Rams finally defeated North, a team that for the past two seasons or so have had the Rams’ number, most recently last spring when the Knights ousted Hightstown from the state tournament. And as the Rams began a critical run of three key matches (North, Princeton, and Steinert yesterday), they do so with a win as they seek to compile the necessary record to qualify for states this season.
The outcome of the afternoon centered around second singles, the longest and final match to conclude. Hightstown’s Sundaram Karthik outlasted North’s Datta Dixit 6-2, 1-6, 7-6 (7-4 tiebreaker) to score the third and decisive point.
Karthik took care of business in the opening set, winning comfortably. But Dixit showed a lot of moxie by rebounding in the middle, when Karthik and his game parted company, to force a third set.
"It was very close," said Hightstown Coach Al Lozier. "After a solid first set he could not make a shot. The third set went back and forth. It was close all the way. I told him to forget the second set and go out and play." Good advice indeed.
The Rams swept the two doubles matches for their other points. At first doubles the steady and dependable pair of Spencer Zlatin and Ian Humphrey scored a dominating 6-1, 6-1 win over Patrick Shock and Will Latti. And at two doubles Ben Harms and Samir Patel downed Scott Weinrob and Taylor Lee 7-5, 6-2.
"They looked stronger as the match went on," said Lozier, alluding to that fact that this is the first year Harms and Patel have played together. "I expect them to improve each match."
North won at first singles when John Cheng defeated Abhilash Babu 6-3, 7-6 (7-3). Said Lozier of Babu, "He played well against a good opponent. He came back in the second set."
North also won at three singles when Ed Chang bested Ryan Godbold 6-2, 6-1.
"It is his first year in the lineup. It’s taking him a while to get over early season jitters. I look for him to improve.
"It was a good win for us," continued Lozier. "North’s been a thorn in our side the last couple of years. The layoff did not bother us. We practiced Monday and I was pleased with the way the kids played. It was good to get started."
But after Wednesday’s 0-5 loss to Princeton, Hightstown showed it was just not yet ready to take on the always talented and still formidable Tigers.
"It was a disappointing loss," admitted Lozier, who fully did not expect to see his squad lose all five sets. "They beat us at our strength (doubles), and swept all three singles flights too."
Both doubles matches went three sets but the Tigers prevailed over the Zlatin-Humphrey and Harms-Patel combos.
"I expected to take the doubles matches. Princeton was the better team. They are solid. They still have our number."
In the singles, Babu lost in straight sets, Karthik was already down a set when he withdrew in the second set with an injury, and Godbold went to three sets before losing. Perhaps Godbold was the day’s brightest spot for Hightstown.
"He is getting better. I am pleased with his development."
The Rams are now 2-1 with May 2 approaching as the state tournament cutoff.
"Princeton was a disappointing loss. But we’ll recover," vowed Lozier.

