First Day a Good One for Long Island at States

May 31, 2013 | By Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
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It was a very hot day at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center where the 2013 New York State Boys High School Championships got underway yesterday. The extreme heat hit 96 degrees on-court at 3:00 p.m. and the matches were delayed until the temperatures dropped.

The delay worked in favor of one Long Island player, Conor Dauer of Cold Spring Harbor. He started slowly, dropping the first set 3-6 to Nate Palmer of Batavia, N.Y., but after the weather delay, he rebounded and took the next two sets 6-2, 6-1 to advance to the second round. Also advancing from Nassau County in singles was Vihar Shah of Herricks with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Jon Selegean of Forest Hills, N.Y. and Doug Notaris of Wantagh, a 6-1, 6-0 winner over Seton Catholic’s Michael Perry from Binghamton, N.Y.

Suffolk singles players fared equally as well, as 2013 Suffolk Singles Champion Zain Ali from Half Hallows Hills East was a 6-1, 6-1 straight sets winner over Lars Olsen of Doane Stuart in Rensselaer, N.Y. Ali thought he played rather well.

"It was tough conditions because of the heat," said Ali. "I tried to keep as many balls away from my opponent as possible."

Tyler Hoffman of Sayville also won his first round match, 6-2, 6-2, over Davis Fleming of James I. O’Neill High School in West Point, N.Y.

In doubles, it was Half Hallows Hills East that made quite the impression. The Hills East team of Travis Leaf & Ross Reiffman defeated North Tonowanda’s John Lemar & Andrew Lemar, 6-1, 6-2. Hills East’s Michael Leffler & Roger Cheng beat Ithaca’s Kevin Huang & Justin Milner, 6-4, 6-1 and another Hills East duo of Jeff Cherkin & Kyle Alper were 6-2, 6-0 winners over Addison Berniker & Henry Tell of Syosset.

"It was great to defeat Syosset, especially after last year when they beat us. My partner and I had good communication, great serves, and strategic hits at the net," Cherkin said.

The Nassau doubles teams of Conor Mullins & JP Paris of Cold Spring Harbor were 6-4, 6-4 winners over Mamaroneck’s Nicholas Lee & Joe Carney, while Plainview JFK’s team of Yuval Solomon & Josh Young were 6-0, 6-1 winners over Northeastern Clinton’s McKenna Hunter & Adam Khater.

Play continues today and concludes tomorrow at the National Tennis Center.


Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
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