Hopewell Valley boys tennis captures Group II state title

Hopewell Valley players and coaches pose for a photo after defeating Mendham for the Group II state title on Friday at the Mercer Tennis Center in West Windsor. (Contributed Photo)

WEST WINDSOR — The Hopewell Valley boys tennis team can call itself champion.

The Bulldogs stormed to the Group II state title on Friday afternoon at the Mercer Tennis Center with victories over Haddonfield in the semifinals and Mendham in the championship match.

HV defeated Mendham, 3-2, in the final following a 4-1 semifinal victory over Haddonfield to complete its season with a 19-8 record.

In the championship decider, the Bulldogs got big victories at third singles from Danyal Rizavi, who won the tiebreaker, 8-6, after splitting the two sets, and swept the doubles flights.

In first doubles, Andrew Hou and Kaito Mahon rolled to a 6-0 victory in the first set, but then ran into trouble in the second set, meaning the duo had to dig out a 10-8 win in the tiebreaker. At second doubles, a tiebreaker was again required for Om Sharma and Zachary Weisenfeld to secure victory after splitting the two sets. This tiebreaker went 10-5 to the Bulldogs.

In the semifinal, it was the singles players who carried the day.

Bradley Deeds won in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3, at first singles, Eshaan Doshi won in a tiebreak, 6-2, 7-6 (7-1) at second singles and Rizavi — he was 2-for-2 in his matches — was a 7-5, 6-1 winner in straight sets. Sharma and Weisenfeld had a long afternoon as they needed a tiebreak in their semifinal match as well to win 6-2, 6-7 (8-6), 7-6 (13-11).

West Windsor-Plainsboro South cruised into the Group III final by defeating Tenafly, 4.5-0.5, in the semifinal. That set up a showdown with powerhouse Millburn.