Swirling wind skews shots

TENNIS

By: Tim Falls
   Hopewell Valley Central High School boys varsity tennis coach Alma Quinlan is still waiting for the weather to cooperate.
   Wind and cold hampered Hopewell Valley in a loss to West Windsor-Plainsboro South on Friday.
   Rain kept the Bulldogs off the courts against Princeton.
   "We’re coming along," said Quinlan, "considering the conditions have been so cold and windy. Once the season gets going and the weather cooperates we should come around."
   The Pirates shut out Hopewell, 5-0, on Friday.
   "I felt their courts swirled with wind," said Edwards. "There were so many miss-hit balls it was incredible. There were shots going wide and shots going over the fence and these were two good teams. I give the guys a lot of credit for going out and trying, that’s all a coach can ask."
   Hopewell senior Aubrey Holmes fell at first singles, 6-2, 6-1, to the Pirates’ Leland Richardson.
   "The scores didn’t indicate that we were pretty competitive," said Quinlan. "Aubrey had his hands full with Leland Richardson. He has improved. He was always a good player, but he’s outstanding now."
   Hopewell sophomore Nick Maida put up a fight at second singles, but lost to Stewart Fernandez, 6-4, 6-3.
   "Nick’s scores were competitive," said Quinlan, "but he had a lot of trouble with the wind."
   WW-P South’s Steven Fernandez defeated Blake McArthur, 6-0, 6-0. The Hopewell senior was newly returned from an ankle injury.
   "Blake wasn’t a pushover," said Quinlan. "His opponent had to work hard, even though the scored don’t indicate that. Blaked looked like his mobility was okay, but he was still not 100 percent."
   With seeding deadlines approaching, the Mercer County Tournament was scheduled to be seeded today (Thursday), Quinlan said she wanted to get McAurther back in at third singles.
   The Hopewell doubles teams didn’t have any more luck against the Pirates than the singles players.
   Quinlan said she thought the Hopewell doubles players needed to be more aggressive in scoring points.
   "They have to push the issue more," said Quinlan. "They need to end the point sooner. We just didn’t finish the points."
   Quinlan said her players gave a lot of effort against WW-P South even though it might not be apparent just from the scores.
   "I’m okay losing to South," said Quinlan, "because we weren’t expecting to beat them and they have a lot more to prove because they’re rated in the top 10."
   The match against Princeton, another top team, was rained out on Monday.
   Prior to the loss to the Pirates, Hopewell defeated Hightstown, 4-1.
   Holmes took a 6-0 lead at first singles, but had to withdraw with an injury default during the second set.
   Maida swept second singles, 6-0, 6-0, senior Stever Deitchman won third singles, 6-2, 6-0, and senior Mike Bolan and freshman David Hunt won first doubles, 6-1, 6-0, against the Rams.
   Hopewell was scheduled to play Hamilton West on Wednesday and will face Steinert today (Thursday) and Trenton tommorrow, weather permitting.