BLOOMINGTON – Bloomington South did not drop a game in singles while conquering Bedford North Lawrence 5-0 during boys high school tennis action on Tuesday.
The Panthers swept the singles courts by identical 6-0, 6-0 scores with Mike Asplund (No.1), Chris Lian (No.2) and David Ciucu (No.3) cruising to victories. South also rolled at No.2 doubles as Kyle Davis and Zach Handel decked Drew Stephenson and Isaac Bridges 6-1, 6-0.
“South really is that good, probably the best team we will see all year,” BNL coach Chris Kurtz said. “But you get better when you face great competition, so we take these lessons and learn. The matches this week are really giving some of our newest players the opportunity to play at a high level right away. Most don’t get a chance like that. It will pay off for them one day, and for us as a team, too.”
BNL was seriously competitive at No.1 doubles. Cameron Gratzer and Jayden Kemp combined to win the first set before finally falling in a shortened third set. Luka Jovanovic and Nicky Walker pulled out a tense 4-6, 6-3, 10-4 (in a quick tiebreaker) triumph to finish the sweep.
“Initially I hadn’t considered this partnership much, but the way they are playing as a duo is awesome,” Kurtz said. “The fit works, and again they competed toe to toe with South this time. The match went back and forth, trading leads at each changeover. It would have been interesting to see that full set play out. They haven’t come out on top yet, but every one of these experiences is building them up, and they will break through soon.”
The Stars will host Linton in their home opener on Thursday.
Bloomington South 5, BNL 0
Singles
1 Mike Asplund d. Steven Graham 6-0, 6-0
2 Chris Lian d. Carter Kimmel 6-0, 6-0
3 David Ciucu d. Noah Bailey 6-0, 6-0
Doubles
1 Luka Jovanovic and Nicky Walker d. Cameron Gratzer and Jayden Kemp 4-6, 6-3, 10-4
2 Kyle Davis and Zach Handel d. Drew Stephenson and Isaac Bridges 6-1, 6-0
