Syosset powers its way to Nassau large school boys tennis championship
Ethan Lee of Syosset runs for the return at the Nassau boys tennis large school team finals on Wednesday, May 24, 2023 at Hofstra. Credit: Dawn McCormick
The recipe for a boys team tennis championship usually involves one of two main ingredients: star power or great depth. Syosset this season has equal measures of each and on Wednesday both came through as it posted a tasty 6-1 victory over Port Washington at Hofstra for the Nassau County large school championship.
“Star power helps and depth helps, but you need more,” Syosset coach Shai Fisher said. “This team is as much a product of those as it is camaraderie and chemistry. They like to hang out during school and after school. They support each other. A lot has to come together.”
Syosset (16-1) is a county champion for the sixth time in the past eight years and the first time since 2021. It advances to next Wednesday’s 3 p.m. Long Island championship match at Hofstra, where it will face the to be determined Suffolk titlist for a spot in the state semifinals at the National Tennis Center.
Ansh Chadha, Evan Lee and Nikhil Shah won singles matches in straight sets and the teams of Aayan Mehta and Devan Melandro, Shiv Chadha and Spencer Keschner and Ethan Lee and Ryan Jiang won doubles matches in straight sets for Syosset.
There was a far greater satisfaction for Syosset than just validating a first-place regular-season finish.
On Tuesday it won a semifinal against Roslyn, the defending champion playing on through grief after the tragic deaths of Drew Hassenbein and Ethan Falkowitz in a traffic accident with an alleged drunk driver three weeks ago. Syosset modified its uniforms after the tragedy, adding the initials “DH” to the left shoulder and “EF” to the right shoulder, and many players wore Bulldog blue ribbons pinned on their chests. The Roslyn team came en masse Wednesday to support Syosset.
“The [semifinal] was the most special match of my life,” Syosset senior Ansh Chadha said. “When it started people were in tears with emotion and then something happened in the middle where a bond was formed. By the end, it was rivals coming together to honor Drew and Ethan.”
Losing the two Roslyn players affected all in the Long Island tennis community. Chadha was so impacted by the accident that he missed a four-match week because he was unable to gather himself to compete. He called Hassenbein “a great friend and one of the greatest talents I’ve witnessed.”
The cornerstone of success for Port Washington (13-5) was its doubles play and those matches were competitive, but only Ollie Navo and Ben Lane managed a win, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3, at third doubles.
If the Vikings were to find a window to victory, it appeared to be winning at third singles and first doubles. Syosset closed that window with the strong-serving Shah holding off Port’s gritty John Funk for a 7-5, 6-4 win and the Mehta-Melandro team repelling a challenge from Reed Paltrow and Kirin Doshi for a 7-6 (2), 6-2 doubles victory. Shah’s serve was broken just once.
“I knew my match would be crucial,” Shah said. “[Port Washington] has been so strong at doubles that singles wins were [essential]. When my serve is on, I need just a break or two. [Funk] was really tough but I was able to get them.”
Roger Rubin returned to Newsday in 2018 to write about high schools, colleges and baseball following 20 years at the Daily News. A Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 2011, he has covered 13 MLB postseasons and 14 NCAA Final Fours.
