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Cen-led PHS wins in states

WW-PS in tennis semis

By Justin Feil, Assistant Sports Editor
   It’s been a busy week of tennis for Sarah Cen, which is a good thing.
   It means that the Princeton High School freshman has been picking up plenty of experience in state tournament action.
   First, Cen lost just one game at first singles on her way to helping the Little Tigers top Jackson Liberty, 5-0, on Friday in their Central Jersey Group III state opener. By dispatching of Jackson, Cen and second-seeded PHS host No. 3 seed Holmdel today in the semifinals.
   ”I love having a team playing behind me,” Cen said. “I love our whole team. It’s nice to have people there when you lose or win.”
   So far, it’s been only winning for the Little Tigers, who improved to 10-0 going into Monday’s scheduled match against Allentown. Cen kept up her winning ways in Saturday’s first and second round of the state singles tournament.
   ”Her first match, she was nervous and was making unforced errors,” PHS coach Sarah Heyman said. “She managed to hold onto the big points when they mattered. By the second match, she settled into her game and played a great match. She won, 0-1. There’s some great competition out there. She’s hitting corners and playing well.”
   Cen reached Sunday’s round of 32, but fell to another area player, Ayla Rasmussen of Montgomery High School. The 9-16 seeded MHS sophomore eventually lost to East Brunswick’s 5-8 seeded Stef Balasa in three sets.
   ”I was a really late starter today,” Cen said. “She took advantage of that. She took the first set quickly. The second set I played better. She held on.
   ”I think yesterday was really good,” she added of Saturday’s wins. “I was definitely happy getting through the first two rounds. I’m a freshman, so I still have three years to go. I think that was a good accomplishment.”
   Rasmussen showed what a year of experience can mean. Her advancement to the fourth round was one more round than last year when she was a freshman. And she showed she is getting better at playing Balasa. It was their third match of the season.
   ”It went three sets,” said MHS coach John Arnold. “It was much better. She got more in the first set than in the first two meetings with her.
   ”Ayla went one round deeper this year. She has a year more of tennis. She plays well. When she focuses on her own game, she puts together a better match than when she worries about how the team is doing.”
   West Windsor-Plainsboro South has the lone remaining area flight left of the state singles and doubles tournaments. Larissa Lee Lum and Annie Scharfstein have advanced to the doubles tournament quarterfinals after beating Haddonfield in Sunday’s fourth round action. The Pirates duo faces Bridgewater-Raritan on Saturday. South’s first singles, Ammu Mandalap, reached the third round of the singles tournament. PHS’ Aleksandra Taranov and Helena Ord upset 5-8 seeded Sparta before falling on Sunday in the third round.
   Lee Lum and Scharfstein also helped the Pirates remain unbeaten at 11-0 and join PHS as the only other local team to reach the semifinals of a sectional. The top-seeded Pirates got by Hillsborough, 3-2, with wins from their bottom three flights. WW-P North lost to Ocean Township in Friday’s CJ III quarterfinals. MHS lost to East Brunswick, 4-1, for the second time this season, this time in the CJ IV quarterfinals on Friday.
   ”It was definitely better the second time around,” Arnold said. “It was closer at first doubles.”
   Cen is hoping to help keep the Little Tigers’ state tournament run going. It is the first state tournament for her and four others in PHS’ lineup.
   ”I think this year is fine,” Cen said. “I’m nervous about two years from now when we’ll have a lot of people leaving. The freshmen were new this year. We’re undefeated so far. I think we’re doing pretty well.
   ”I knew we were undefeated last year,” she added. “I didn’t know most of the players on the team. So coming in, I didn’t have big expectations. As the season goes on, we’re getting more confident.”
   Cen is one reason that PHS’ confidence has grown. Despite being a freshman, she has looked strong at the top of the lineup.
   ”When you have someone come in and play No. 1 as a freshman, it says loads about the potential they have for the next couple years,” Heyman said. “If she can continue to play the way she has and continue to get experience, she’ll be a force to be reckoned with.
   ”She’s usually very consistent and has good depth and power on her shots. And when she’s moving well, she can really cover the court and get to a lot of balls.”
   Cen has valued the lessons she has learned this season. She has adjusted to playing against opponents who may be older and stronger and she has gone through her first experiences in high school tournament play, from the Mercer County Tournament in which she finished fourth, to the state individuals and team tournaments.
   ”My game has gotten better,” Cen said. “Playing with the team every day has helped me. It’s also a new experience. I’ve never played on an actual team before. Tennis is usually an individual thing. I’ve learned from the whole team experience.”