With its 3-2 win over top-seeded Pascack Hills in the North 1, Group 2 final, NV/Old Tappan won its first ever section title in boys tennis.
MONTVALE – Northern Valley/Old Tappan’s Joseph Hwang could not help but feel the pressure. With a crowd gathering solely around the court he was playing on in the North 1, Group 2 section final and one point away from watching the opposing team celebrate a title at his expense, Hwang had to dig as deep as he ever had on a tennis court.
What happened next was an improbable comeback with the end result being history for Hwang and the Golden Knights.
Hwang, a junior, fought off four match points in the second set and then a two-point deficit in the tiebreaker to force a third set. Hwang squandered a lead but recovered in time to pull out the deciding point in a three-hour marathon match to lift third-seeded Northern Valley/Old Tappan to its first section title in school history with a 3-2 triumph over top-seeded Pascack Hills on Monday in Montvale.
“They’re the nicest, hardest working kids a coach could ask for. I’m honored and privileged to coach this team,” said Northern Valley/Old Tappan head coach Eric Delaney. “Joseph’s match really shows what this team and what tennis is all about. You never ever give up. Until you’re shaking hands at the net with your opponent, you still have a chance to win.”
Both teams figured it would be a tough match going in and it lived up to the billing. Old Tappan took the lead with a point at first doubles. John Oh and Owen Young were aggressive at the net right from the outset and took control late in the first set on the way to a 6-4, 6-2 win.
Pascack Hills' Sam Fruitbine won the final eight games of his match to win 7-5, 6-0.
Pascack Hills evened the match when Sam Fruitbine hit his stride at third singles. He won the final eight games of his match to win 7-5, 6-0. The back and forth classic continued when Kiran Gurunathan shook off a leg injury that forced him to take a 10-minute medical timeout in the second set to win 6-4, 6-4 at first singles to put the Golden Knights ahead 2-1.
The Broncos once again battled back with a win at second doubles. Zach Friend and David Leipsner recovered after dropping the second set to pull out a 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 win to make it 2-2 and have the match come down to second singles for the section title.
With the crowd hanging on every point, Hwang and Edward Shanoyan of Pascack Hills were locked in a duel filled with twists and turns among a slew of exciting points. It looked like Hwang let an opportunity slip late in the second set. After Shanoyan took the first set in a tiebreaker, Hwang was serving for the second set when Shanoyan broke Hwang’s serve and then held his own service game for a 6-5 lead. In the ensuing game, Hwang had match points against him on four different occasions but was up to the task. He saved all four of those points to hold serve and force another tiebreak.
“I was honestly trying to think as little as I could and just play point by point,” said Hwang. “The game I’m most confident in is when I play instinctively. I tried to give (Shanoyan) short balls and then react. He was a real tough player who was strong from the baseline. Using the drop shot allowed me to have a little bit of control during certain points.”
Old Tappan's Kiran Gurunathan shook off a leg injury to win 6-4, 6-4 at first singles
In a race to seven, in which the winner must win by two points, Hwang found himself down 5-3. Having already faced several pressure-packed points throughout the match, Hwang never flinched and never changed his style of play. He used his drop shot effectively and it allowed him to dictate the pace of points. Hwang won the final four points of the tiebreak to force a third set to decide who will be the state sectional champion.
Hwang appeared to be in total control in the third set up two breaks with a 4-1 lead. Before he even knew what hit him, Shanoyan dug deep himself and roared back to win 12 of the next 13 points to tie the set at 4. Hwang responded by winning big points in a variety of ways. From the drop shot, to passing shots, to even some clutch volleys at the net, he pulled out the final two games of the match to send the Golden Knights pouring onto the court in celebration of the first second title in school history.
“Our whole goal was to build upon last year, but to be section champions feels surreal,” added Hwang. “I’m so proud of my teammates and it’s a great feeling to get it done. We can’t control every point in every match, but we can control our effort. When you put forth maximum effort, good things will come of it.”
Northern Valley/Old Tappan (16-7) will head down to Mercer County Park in West Windsor on Wednesday to play in the Group 3 state semifinals. They will have a tough opponent in front of them in West Morris Mendham. After going 11-10 in 2022 to being a section champion in 2023, this team is going to enjoy this experience and soak it all in.
“Tennis can teach you key values and it helps you problem solve life,” said Delaney. “We faced adversity, but we worked through it together. This is a sport I love and these kids love. We worked very hard to get to this point and we saw that pay off today.”
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