Flores of Huntington Wins Second Straight Suffolk County Singles Title

May 18, 2018 | By Brian Coleman
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The weather this spring made it extremely difficult to schedule and finish many of the team and individual championships on Long Island. That included the Suffolk County Individual Championships, where the County’s Singles Final between Huntington’s Jack Flores and Half Hollow Hills East’s Ahbinav Srivastava was suspended at 4-4 in the third set.

But Flores, the defending champion, did not mind the delay. In fact, it helped him.

Flores was dealing with a bad right shoulder, which had affected him throughout the County Tournament.

“It came up during the first match of counties,” Flores said of the injury. “I actually had to serve underhand for most of the match. And it was really hurting during the semifinals and finals.

Flores used the time off to get treatment on the shoulder, and when play resumed, he rattled off the final two games to complete the 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 win over Srivastava.

The win improved Flores’ record on the season to 21-0 and earned the sophomore a second consecutive County Championship.

“I was a little nervous at 4-4 because it was so close with only a little bit left to play when we came back,” said Flores. “But I just tried to go in there and go point by point. He is a really good opponent and I always enjoy playing in a competitive match like that. I just knew I had to stay focused throughout the match.”

Flores would move on to the NYSPHSAA Boy’s Singles Tournament where he reached the quarterfinals, falling to eventual champion Patrick Maloney of Oyster Bay.


Commack’s Yoon & Lin Claim Suffolk Doubles Crown

As a team, the Commack Cougars captured its first Suffolk County title since 2009 this past season. A major reason for the team success came from the depth of the roster, and that was on display in the Doubles Final of the Suffolk County Individual Championships.

The final pitted Andrew Lin & Sol Yoon against their Commack teammates, Ryan Schoenfeld & Alec Sydney.

“It was great,” said Lin. “I think the fact that it was an all-Commack final really showed the strength and depth of our team this year.”

Lin & Yoon would come out on top, beating Schoenfeld & Sydney 6-4, 6-3 to be crowned Suffolk County Doubles Champions.

“It helped,” Yoon said of knowing your opponent’s game. “We play against them a lot, so we were familiar with how they played and were able to relax in the final.”

 

In the state tournament, Lin & Yoon would win two rounds and advance to the quarterfinals where they wrapped up their high school careers.

“Our team is going to miss them both,” said Commack Head Coach Jimmy Delevante. “They brought tons of energy and excitement to practice every day and it’s going to be very tough to replace them. Andrew was the best captain we could have asked for and there will definitely be some big shoes to fill next season.”

 


Brian Coleman
Senior Editor, Long Island Tennis Magazine
Brian Coleman is the Senior Editor for Long Island Tennis Magazine. He may be reached at brianc@usptennis.com.
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