Sean Moylan Sports Writer
“Officially, we won the Freedom Division,” said Ovi Dragos after his Florence Township Memorial High boys’ varsity tennis team defeated Delran, 5-0, at home on Monday.
Florence’s Milo Milosovici had been anxiously awaiting a first singles rematch with Bears’ star Brett McCaffrey. However, when the Flashes discovered that McCaffrey had decided not to play varsity tennis any longer this season, Milosovici had a tough time re-focusing and had to work extra hard to defeat Ryan Malin 6-1, 6-4.
“He was down 4-1 in the second set,” remarked Dragos, who felt Milosovici was making too many unforced errors early in the second set.
At second singles, Florence’s Ben Pinter fell behind 4-1 in the first set and then made some excellent adjustments to beat Anthony Strosser in a very close 6-4, 6-4 match. And the Flashes’ Hans Lopez had to go all out to top Rick Costales 6-0, 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (9-7) in a third singles match which seemed to go on forever.
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had a much easier time of it. Russell Mollimock and Josh Partyka (first doubles) creamed Delran’s Zikran Mehea and Anthony Capraro 6-2, 6-1 while Florence’s Nick Bencze and Usman Huq shut out their second doubles opponents from Delran.
Then on this past Tuesday, Florence defeated a young, yet very improved, Northern Burlington squad, 4-1, in an away match.
With first singles star Miguel Coronel still out of the Flashes lineup due to an elbow injury, the first singles match featured an interesting battle between the Greyhounds’ young star Varun Ravindran, a great volleyer, and Milosovici, a hard hitter, which Ravindran won 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
“ It was very close. But their kid (Ravindran) is very consistent and he has a strong forehand,” said Dragos. “I give a lot of credit to their kid. I love the kid (as a tennis player).”
According to Dragos, Milosovici could never quite get his serve and his overhand shots to work the way he wanted them to on the new softer playing surface at NBC.
“Their court is slower and the timing is different there,” added the talented Flashes head coach.
In other matches, Pinter beat NBC’s Vishal Thacker (second singles) 6-1, 6-2. Lopez was a 6-1, 6-1 victor over Northern’s Andy Leedom at third singles. Partyka and Mollimock won a 6-3, 6-0 decision over Lucas Ashbacker at first doubles. And Huq and Bencze blanked NBC’s second doubles tandem of Chris Allen and Tom Evans.
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Last Wednesday, Burlington Township scratched out a 3-2 win over NBC at Northern Burington.
Ravindran, however, won a very exciting 7-6 (7-2), 7-5 decision over the Falcons’ number one player Christian Taylor. And Leedom beat Burlington Township’s Tony Halas 1-6, 6-4, 6-2 at third singles to account for NBC’s other win.
Both Florence and NBC played home matches last Thursday. Florence trounced Palmyra, 5-0. Lenape won a 4-1 decision over Northern Burlington.
In the match versus Palmyra, Florence’s Milosovici (first singles), Mollimock and Partyka (first doubles) and Huq and Bencze (second doubles) did not lose a single game. Lopez (third singles) won by forfeit and Pinter (second singles) beat Palmyra’s Brett Cahill 6-2, 6-1.
Meanwhile Northern Burlington’s only win versus Lenape came at third singles when Leedom defeated Andrew Abrams 4-6, 6-4, 6-1.
Then last Friday at Northern Burlington, the Greyhounds blasted Burlington City, 4-0, as second doubles was not contested.
Ravindran, of course, won in straight sets, surrendering just one first set game to the Blue Devils’ best player Shane Hajzer. Thacker (second singles) also won in straight sets while Leedom bageled his third set opponent from Burlington City. At first doubles, NBC head coach Larry Young used a different lineup but the results were the same. Northern’s Liam Setz Kelly and Eric DeGood beat Dean Catlett and Jammael Brown 6-0, 6-4.
In the meantime Lenape beat Florence, 5-0, in last Friday’s ýPage=017 Column=003 OK,0007.08þ
opening round match-up of the Moorestown Invitational Tournament. Nevertheless, Dragos felt that Bencze played won of his best matches of the year at second doubles and Lopez played a tremendous first set versus his third set opponent from Lenape.
Then in the consolation match on Saturday, St. Augustine won a 4-1 decision over Florence. Florence’s lone win came at second doubles where Bencze and Huq beat Aiden Kayz and Michael Hallderson 6-2, 7-5.
“Both matches we had to move everyone around,” said Dragos, whose team still misses Coronel’s presence in the lineup. Still Dragos was happy to see his team get a chance to play two highly ranked New Jersey tennis squads.
Florence (8-3) was scheduled to have hosted Holy Cross yesterday (Wednesday). It is scheduled to host Rancocas Valley today (Thursday). And both Florence and NBC are scheduled to compete in the Bulrlington County Open this Friday and Saturday.
NBC was scheduled to have hosted Rancocas Valley yesterday (Wednesday) and it is scheduled to host Holy Cross today (Thursday). NBC is scheduled at Palmyra on Monday. And next Tuesday Northern Burlington is scheduled to host Pemberton.
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