Deepudass Claims Nassau County Singles Title

When Samarth Deepudass made the decision to play high school tennis, he did so with the distinct goal of winning a county title.

Deepudass joined the Herricks team as a sophomore last year and returned this spring for his junior season, and complied a great season which earned him the second-seed in this past weekend’s Nassau County Individual Championships.

“I was super motivated,” said Deepudass. “The main reason I played high school tennis was to try and win counties, and I put a lot of effort into it. I was just remembering my training and all the dedication and hard work I put in.”

That work paid off as Deepudass came back from a set down to defeat Roslyn’s Ethan Solop, who was bothered by cramps for much of the final, 6-7(4), 6-2, 6-4 and win the Nassau County Singles title.

After dropping the opening set in a hard-fought tiebreaker, Deepudass knew he had to play more solid in the second set. He did just that, making sure to be more consistent and not play overly aggressive.

“I just tried to play my game, have fun and see what happens,” he said. “It was a matter of getting as many balls in as I could. I knew I couldn’t just go for big shots, I had to make him move and I feel like that was the biggest change.”

Herricks head coach Ray Cross added:

“It was a great match, Ethan showed a lot of toughness and battled out there. Samarth played his heart out also. We had some of his teammates here supporting him and I think he appreciates, as someone who plays a lot of tournaments, having teammates encouraging him and being there for him.”

Deepaduss now prepares for the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Championships, which are held at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center from Friday, May 31 through Sunday, June 2. Both he and Solop will represent Nassau at the State Championships, as will Manhasset’s Maxim Golubenko, who defeated Plainview JFK’s Aiden Patel 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 in the third-place match.

“It’s my first time going to states so I’m super excited,” said Deepudass. “I know there will be a lot of great players there so I just want to see what I’m able to do.”

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