Friday,
April 17, 2015
By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer
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Ethan Schiffman was a part of the doubles team that clinched the winning point in Tenafly's 4-1 win over Mahwah. The Tigers, who knocked off Fair Lawn on Monday, are now 7-0 on the season. |
TENAFLY – Coming into the 2015 season, Tenafly boys' tennis head coach Anthony Zorovich figured his team would be steady, but more in a rebuilding mode than one that would compete for titles as the Tigers normally do. Good fortune appeared to be on Zorovich's side as a talented sophomore who did not play as a freshman came out for the team and two players moved in from out-of-state. Just like that, the Tigers' rotation was one to be reckoned with.
Their expectations were still relatively modest heading into this week, but after upsetting previously undefeated Fair Lawn on Monday the Tigers got a chance to dent the record of another undefeated team in Mahwah, which came to town on Thursday looking for a signature win of its own.
Tenafly proved that it is not only a contender but quite possibly the frontrunner for county and state section titles with an impressive 4-1 win over Mahwah in which the Tigers only dropped six games in the four matches they won.
“We've been on a winning streak and we wanted to keep doing what we've been doing,” said Tenafly's Ethan Schiffman. “All the way through the lineup, we try to keep the ball in play and be aggressive when the opportunity is there to put the ball away. After losing a few key seniors last year, we didn't know what to expect from this season. But we're a really close team and we've worked really hard to get to where we are right now.”
Tenafly's doubles tandems have been a strength all season with yesterday's match being more of the same. The senior duo of Jonathan Roman and Jake Spadaccini at second doubles was the first to come off the court with a 6-1, 6-1 victory. Third singles player Kyu Kim, who moved in from California back in June, was aggressive with his forehand throughout in a 6-0, 6-1 win.
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Brett Gilman secured Mahwah's lone point with his straight sets win at first singles. |
Krishna Mitta and Schiffman have been as equally a successful tandem, albeit an unlikely pair. Mitta, a senior, moved in from Texas and Schiffman, a left-handed sophomore, had never played doubles together before the season started. While there was an adjustment period, the two have grown into both a top-notch duo and also good friends as well.
“We've had a really good bond and we communicate very well together,” added Schiffman. “We've become close as teammates and as friends. We high-five after every point and we are always lifting each other up if one of us makes a mistake.”
Although they have been a team for less than a month, Mitta and Schiffman play like a cohesive team that has been together for years. They both had solid games both from the baseline and at the net in a 6-1, 6-1 victory that clinched the match.
“We didn't have a lot of time of playing doubles together but it's really worked out well so far,” said Mitta. “We're both pretty aggressive players and we kept the ball in play until we could finish points off.”
Mahwah (5-1) got its lone point from Brett Gilman at first singles. Gilman is one of the few true serve-and-volley players in Bergen County. The senior used his athleticism and his strong net game to take control early in a 6-0, 6-1 triumph.
“I thought Brett did a really nice job, but as a whole team we see that we have a lot of work ahead of us,” said Mahwah head coach Jason Schmitt. “We knew this was going to be our toughest opponent yet and it definitely was. This was a step up in competition and we need to be challenged like that. We're disappointed that we didn't compete as well as we would have liked. It's good for us to see this level of competition. I'm sure we'll work even harder now to try and get to this level of play.”
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Mark Roh, who sat out last season, is now a sophomore who won his match, 6-0, 6-1 on Thursday. |
Mark Roh took a year off from tennis in his freshman year but has burst onto the scene as a sophomore who can beat an opponent in a variety of ways. His versatility was on full display in a 6-0, 6-1 win for the final point of the match.
Tenafly now moves to 7-0 on the season with the win. More importantly with victories over Fair Lawn and Mahwah, the Tigers have also asserted themselves as title contenders once again.
“The bar has been raised there's no question about that,” said Zorovich. “I thought we'd be solid but we're better than solid and better than I expected us to be at this point in the season. Everyone is really improving, including our first singles player (Scott Einsidler) even though he's run into some of the best players in the county this past week. Last year was the first time in a while that we didn't win our league, losing to Northern Valley/Demarest. We feel like we have a shot at winning our league, winning the counties, and the section.”
“I'm thrilled with the start we've had with three quality wins this week, but I told our kids that it's a marathon and not a sprint, so enjoy the moment. There's still 15 matches or so left and we have to keep working hard towards our goals, which are a bit bigger now than they were a few weeks ago.”
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