(Photo by Bill Allen/NJ SportAction)
caption: FOURSIGHT: Princeton Day School boys’ tennis senior star David Holland eyes the ball in action this spring. Last week, the Duke-bound Holland won the first singles title at the state Prep B tournament, giving him four straight individual crowns and the Panthers their fourth consecutive team title. |
Although the Princeton Day School boys’ tennis team came into last week’s Prep B tournament having won three straight titles and boasting undefeated singles players David Holland and Neil Karandikar, the Panthers knew that achieving a four-peat would be a struggle.
“It was certainly going to be a dogfight,” said longtime PDS head coach Rome Campbell.
“We knew that David and Neil were solid; we were counting on our doubles to come through.”
The first doubles pair of Patrick Murphy and Vinay Trivedi together with the second doubles duo of James Cole and Matt Costello rose to the occasion in the opening round of the competition.
Murphy and Trivedi topped Jamie Bates and San Dobalo of Rutgers Prep 6-3, 6-2 while the pair of Cole and Costello blanked Teddy DaCosta and Michael Zlotnick of Oratory Prep 6-0, 6-0.
The doubles pairs both were eliminated in the semis but Holland and Karandivkar took care of business, winning the titles at first and second singles, respectively, as PDS narrowly accomplished its four-peat, edging Gill St. Bernard’s 8-7 in the team standings.
Holland topped Dan Turtel of Ranney 6-0, 6-4 while Karandikar breezed past Max Bevan of Morristown-Beard 6-0, 6-0.
Campbell tipped his hat to the relentless Holland, who has stamped himself as one of the best players to ever come out of the area.
“It is the end of an era, he hasn’t lost a match in three years,” said Campbell of the Duke-bound Holland.
“We checked it out and figured out that he hasn’t lost a set over that period. He’s a cool character; he didn’t really celebrate after winning. He was actually upset that he lost four games in the second set.”
Karandikar didn’t have to fret over any lost games as he didn’t drop a game in the tourney, matching his performance in the Mercer County Tournament.
“His one-sided wins come from his focus and concentration and the seriousness of each point to him,” said Campbell.
“He is the consummate strategist and tactician. He has been at the top of his game certainly. He’s a sophomore and like David, I think he will develop into a more powerful player and take his game to a new level. He’s dedicated to tennis on a daily basis.”
The gifted sophomore helped prepare the PDS doubles players to take their games to a new level as he sparred with them in the build-up to the Prep B tourney.
“We had him hit with the doubles guys last week,” said Campbell. “The doubles players benefit from hitting on every point rather than waiting like they do in their matches.”
In Campbell’s view, it is that spirit of working together that has resulted in PDS’ title run.
“It’s certainly been a great run; it’s not just been one player,” asserted Campbell.
“We have had a great group of guys, players like Bo Marshall, Seth Stein, and Pat Murphy. The last two years Holland and Karandikar have been the rudder, but it is the supporting players that have been the key to our success.”
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