Bridgewater Boys Tennis Having Solid Season

The Bridgewater-Raritan boys tennis team is off to a good start for the 2012 season, and it added another victory with a win over Watchung Hills Monday.

"We have to start winning the close ones," said Panthers coach Curt Weaver. "We have been close a couple times, against Ridge and Montgomery, both top 20 teams, and we've come up a little short. We are going to turn the corner and take it on." 

But Weaver doesn't see this as a pattern that will carry through the season. Boasting a sophomore at the No. 1 spot in Eric Tai and another in Brian Chen at the No. 2 spot, the Panthers are moving in the right direction. 

"These guys are starting to step it up," Weaver said. "It has been there for us to take, we just have to take it."

Everyone is a new spot this season except for Tai who played No. 1 as a freshman, and Weaver is confident he will be a force. 

"He was good last year, but he is stronger, faster and smarter," Weaver said. "It is tough to play No. 1, there are no easy matches there."

And the team has another sophomore, Chen, at the No. 2 spot, up from first doubles last year. 

"He is looking good, and again, no easy matches there either, but he has played well," Weaver said. 

Rounding out the singles is senior Suneet Degaonkar. 

"Suneet was injured last year and he has come back and we are happy to have him, he is mentally very tough," Weaver said.

Singles

1st Singles: Eric Tai, Bridgewater-Raritan, def. Brian Faig 6-1, 6-0

2nd Singles: Tristan Sun, Watchung Hills, def. Brian Chen 7-5, 6-2, 6-1

3rd Singles: Suneet Degaonkar, Bridgewater-Raritan, def. Tim Gavornik 6-3, 6-4

Doubles

1st Doubles: Max Weinerman and Nate Luke, Watchung Hills, def. Sunil Hebbar and Andrew Statkevich 6-3, 7-6 (7-4)

2nd Doubles: Jerome Bautista and Sai Palani, Bridgewater-Raritan, def. Michael Ma and Abhinav Dantuluri 6-4, 6-3

UP NEXT—The Panthers will travel to South Brunswick Tuesday at 3:45 p.m.