By Warren Rappleyea
A relatively young group of players will take to the courts this spring as Sayreville War Memorial High School’s boys tennis team seeks to improve on the 5-12 mark it compiled a year ago.
Most of the Bombers’ experience will be in singles, but coach Mike Provenza is confident that his doubles players are ready to compete against the best the Greater Middlesex Conference’s (GMC) Red Division has to offer. Next season, the Blue and Gray will move into the White Division.
“We have a mission and that’s to get better with each match,” the coach said. “It’s a good test for us to be in the Red Division, and we want to take advantage of it to learn. This is a very tough division, and we’re looking to hold our own.”
Parth Merchant leads a strong cast of singles players. The senior, who also serves as a team leader, moves to the top spot after turning in a .500 mark at second singles last spring. Now in his third varsity season, Merchant owns an effective backhand and relies on a strong all-around game to keep opponents off balance.
Taha Shaikh will be at second singles. The athletic sophomore saw some doubles action a year ago and has worked diligently to upgrade his game. A strong showing this spring and the emergence of a hard forehand shot helped Shaikh earn a starting job.
Parth Patel, one of Sayreville’s best doubles performers last year when he played with a variety of different partners, will play third singles. The tall junior is particularly effective at the net but can also use his ground strokes effectively.
“I’m expecting a strong showing from our singles guys,” Provenza said. “They have talent, and I expect them to be competitive. Win or lose, I know they’re going to keep getting better.”
Junior Faisal Ismail is the Bombers’ top doubles player. Ismail’s hard, accurate serve should should keep opponents deep. He is paired with promising sophomore Amkur Vitay, a relative newcomer to tennis who has picked up the game quickly and developed good technique, the coach noted.
Bhavik Shah, another senior and team leader, is at second doubles along with junior Saif Syed, who has been impressive in the early going. Another junior, Paul Myla, will also see action at doubles.
Since Patel moved to singles and all of the doubles players are first-time varsity starters, Provenza is employing an “I” setup, where one player sets up at the service line and the other at the baseline to form the “I.”
“This will allow our guys to move around a little more and not be wed to a position,” Provenza said. “It’s a different look, and the guys have picked it up.”
Sayreville, which dropped its season opener to South Brunswick High School, was set to meet Edison High School April 4 and was at Perth Amboy High School April 6. The Bombers are hosting Metuchen High School April 7.
