By: Rich Fisher
Vignesh Chandramouli
TENNIS
South Brunswick lived up to pre-season hopes
Staff photos by John KeatingSandy Tuma (left) and Ben Hochberg each took turns at second doubles this year.
Rich FisherSports Editor
All things considered, the South Brunswick High tennis "team" got what it hoped for this year.
Individually though, it was a different story due to an unfortunate back injury suffered by Rohan Patkar at the end of the year.
As a team, the Vikings finished 16-7 overall and 10-4 in the Greater Middlesex Conference’s Red Division.
Highlighting the season were victories over White Division power North Brunswick and Red Division rival East Brunswick. The win over the Bears was South’s first under coach Nancy McDonald.
"I thought we did what we anticipated we would do," McDonald said. "J.P. Stevens snuck in there on everyone. I expected to finish the top three in the conference, which we did. We met all the goals and expectations that we had for the season as a team.
"We would have liked to advanced a little further in the states, but the season ending injuries hurt us. With Ro getting hurt that definitely had an impact on the strength of our team at that point."
Indeed, with Patkar missing the state tournament, the Vikings were no match for East Brunswick in the second round of the Central Jersey Group IV tournament. But even more unfortunate, is that Patkar did not get a chance to play in the state singles tournament during a senior season in which he finished 18-2.
"Ro had a nice career here," McDonald said. "Unfortunately, he was in the driver’s seat to have an outstanding record and probably the best record of any singles player at South Brunswick until he got hurt. Shangril (Shah) had 20 wins his senior year, Ro was on track to do better. I’m thinking he would have had 24 to 25 wins, including state play, with only two or three losses.
"But he had a great three years for us at singles, playing first singles the last two. This year he got to the finals of the GMC tournament, which is what he hoped to do."
Patkar is one of just three seniors graduating from the starting lineup. The other two are the first doubles team of Shuang Yang and Brian Binder, who finished 20-8 and finally beat their nemesis from J.P. Stevens in the first round of the NJSIAA state doubles tournament. They fell to second-seeded Moorestown in round two.
"They put their names in the record books," McDonald said. "They overcame a lot of things, stepping up from second doubles to first doubles. With the increased schedule and competition this year we played a lot of top 10 teams in the state. They had to play some good tennis, and they got 20 wins, which is great for a doubles team.
"They had a good run together. They’re good kids, great students, very coachable. The seniors were a pleasure to be around all the time . . . as long as I brought food. You have to keep those boys fed!"
Rounding out the senior class were the doubles teams of Akshya Gupta-Seth Robey and Chris Zelawski-Ben Hochberg, who rotated in at second doubles.
Providing optimism for the future is second and third singles players Arjun Sapra and Mike Finkelburg, who both had winning records as juniors. Sapra was 12-8 while Finkelburg was 14-5. Junior Najeeb Hussain went 6-2 during his stint at singles.
The second doubles team was never quite settled, but juniors Guha Balakrishnan and Hussain went 4-3 reached the finals of the GMC tournament. Others to play second doubles were Sandy Tumma-Vignesh Chandramouli (6-4), Robey-Gupta (2-0) and Zalewski- Hochberg (2-1).
"I’m returning half my team, and we’ll reload the rest from the JV and freshmen that are coming in," said McDonald, who noted that the JV team went 11-5 under coach John Lolli. Nick Dou was a stellar singles player, while Aneesh Desai-Arjun Kumble won the GMC JV doubles tournament.
