Hewlett continues to dominate

Hewlett’s magic number to clinch a second consecutive boys’ tennis conference title was reduced to two last Friday as the Bulldogs captured their 26th straight regular-season match with a 7-0 win over Garden City.

Any combination of two Hewlett wins or two losses for second-place Wheatley would give the Bulldogs (12-0) the 2A crown a year after they finished atop 2B with a 14-0 mark. 

“I knew we had a talented team returning and that’s why I asked to move up to Conference 1,” coach Abby Samlin said. “There’s very good competition in Conference 2, but we wanted to see what the best conference is all about. I’m confident we’ll get to experience it next year.”

With juniors Dylan Paul and Jared Lake back in the fold and joined by young standout Stephen Gershfeld, the coach said she had no concerns about Hewlett’s ability to get the job done at singles. Finding the right doubles pairings was a puzzle greatly compromised by what Samlin said was the worst spring weather she’s had to work around.

“It was so difficult to determine what we had in doubles because we hardly got outside to play,” she said. “It’s not like the fall season with the girls when the weather doesn’t really get in the way. This year we’ve had practices and matches where it was so cold you wanted to cry.”

The Bulldogs worked out some kinks early and won each of their first three matches by an identical 5-2 score. Once they settled in, despite an injury to Paul, they began to steamroll. Only one match, a 4-3 victory at Great Neck South on April 23, wasn’t 7-0 or 6-1. Lake won a grueling 6-4, 7-5 match at third singles, and the still undefeated second doubles tandem of senior Paul Ledon and sophomore Laurent Dorvilier prevailed in a tight battle to keep the winning streak alive.

Samlin said Lake eats, breathes and sleeps tennis and is a hard worker and tough competitor. “Jared trains very hard and also takes the time to give lessons to other kids,” she said. “He knows what it takes to win.”

Paul, who missed a handful of matches with a back injury, is in his third year as Hewlett’s No. 1. “He’s just a natural athlete,” Samlin said. “He’s so smart on and off the court. He finds weaknesses in his opponent and attacks.”

  Gershfeld is the youngest player on the roster but has lots of experience in USTA tournaments and a high ceiling. He’s undefeated at second singles. “He can do a little bit of everything and hits hard,” Samlin said.

The top doubles pairing of sophomore Logan Fliegel and eighth-grader Ben Grushkovsky is undefeated. Fliegel is vastly improved, the coach said, allowing him to move up the lineup from fourth doubles. Senior Zachary Bernstein and junior David Kaziev were paired at times last spring and carried over their chemistry at third doubles, while sophomores Yoni Glattman, Jacob Bernstein and Jack Hoffman have a combined record of 11-1 as a rotation at fourth doubles.