Zain Ali wins Suffolk Boys Tennis Division I Tournament

Top seed Zain Ali entered the Suffolk Division I boy’s tennis tournament with an unblemished record. The only set he’d dropped all season was to teammate Kyle Alper in practice last week.

Alper, the second seed, gave Ali all he could handle again on Monday afternoon, this time on the courts at Smithtown East with the Division I championship on the line.

Alper won the first set 6-2 before dropping the second set 7-6 on a 7-4 tie breaker. Ali bounced back to win the final set 6-3 and keep his perfect record.

“It was the highest level of tennis I’ve seen all season – maybe ever,” Hills East head coach Tom Depelteau said.

Ali, the defending Suffolk County champion, and Alper are two of six Hills East representatives from the Division I tournament heading to the County tournament.

“Kyle was able to find openings in Zain’s game that no one else has been able to find,” Depelteau said. “Zain bounced back and made the adjustments.”

Depelteau said it would not surprise him to see both players squaring off in the Suffolk finals on Monday.

“If Kyle is behind Zain he’s closer than anybody else is,” Depelteau said.

There was great familiarity in the doubles finals as well, but that was between teammates.

Top seeded Half Hollow Hills West twins Duane and Dylan Davis defeated second seeded Nick Fox and Cory Seltman of Commack, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2.

It is the first time the brothers have advanced past the Division Tournament in their third attempt.

“They’ve played most of the season as doubles partners and went undefeated together,” Hills West coach Kim Langendorfer said. “It’s been a very good situation for us - they love singles but doubles is their love and passion.”

Hills West will also be represented at the County tournament, which begins on Friday at 10am at William Floyd high school, by singles player Aziz Rashidzada, who finished fourth after an injury default before the consolation match.

Sixth seeded Justin Park of Whitman finished third.

Fourth seeded Grant Rosenberg and Roger Cheng of Hills East defeated third seeded Travis Leaf and Ross Reifmann, also of Hills East, 6-4, 6-3, in the doubles consolation.