Patkar’s back problem dooms Vikes in states

By: Rich Fisher
   There are costly injuries. There are untimely injuries. There are unfortunate injuries.
   Rohan Patkar and the South Brunswick High tennis team got to experience all three at once when Patkar came up with a lame back early last week. It meant the senior first singles player, who is enjoying an outstanding season, had to sit out the Vikings first two state tournament matches, which is as untimely as it gets.
   Ultimately, it became their only two state tournament matches as East Brunswick took a 4-1 win in Tuesday’s Central Jersey Group IV second round tilt.
   "It changes the whole strength of our lineup," coach Nancy McDonald said of Patkar’s absence. "He woke up one day last weekend and he had an ache in his back. He doesn’t know if he did it playing the day before. He doesn’t remember straining it. He tried to play through it a little bit."
   Patkar played in regular-season matches against East Brunswick and West Windsor-Plainsboro on May 8-9. He won the first, lost the second.
   "After the East Brunswick, match, he said it was worse," McDonald said. "He tried to play against West Windsor, but he did horrible. He had a good shot at beating that kid if he was healthy, but he couldn’t even play."
   With Patkar out, Arjun Sapra and Mike Finkelburg moved up to first and second singles, and former second doubles player Najeeb Hussain slipped into third.
   The initial result was a 3-2 loss to St. Joe’s last Wednesday, which cost the Vikes a shot at the Greater Middlesex Conference Red Division title. The doubles teams of Shuang Yang-Brian Binder and Guha Balakrishnan-Vignesh Chandramouli got the wins in that one.
   South still had enough to beat Sayreville, 4-1, in the opening round of the CJ IV tournament, as Finkelburg and Hussain won along with both doubles teams.
   "Our lineup isn’t that week at second and third doubles," McDonald said. "Najeeb has some experience at singles, so against an average team, we’re still a good team."
   The lineup got even weaker last Friday, as Sapra and Binder were both out. But Finkelburg moved up to first singles and posted a straight set win in the Vikes 4-1 victory over Edison. Hussain and Yang won at second and third doubles, while Chandramouli-Balakrishnan won at first doubles.
   With Sapra back in the lineup, the Vikes rolled past Old Bridge, 5-0, on Monday. But only Binder-Yang could pocket a victory against East Brunswick in Tuesday’s tournament match.
   Still, McDonald was proud of her team’s play without it’s No. 1.
   "Considering we’ve been playing without our best player, I think we’re doing well," the coach said. "We had our regular third singles guy beat a first singles player. That’s a big boost."
   But East Brunswick is too good to take on in a weakened state. All three singles teams lost, with Finkelburg falling in three sets.
   "Their singles are just too good," McDonald said.
   So are the Vikes’ singles, if Patkar’s in the lineup. At the moment, he is just hoping to recuperate in time for the state singles tournament. His record stands at 18-2.
   "He’s taking some medication, whatever you can do for a strained back," McDonald said. "There’s not a lot you can do but rest and get some treatments from the trainer until you can start playing without pain."