Stevenson soars through first day of North Suburban competition

Stevenson enjoyed an impressive start on the first day of the North Suburban Conference boys tennis championships Friday.

The Patriots sent all five flights into today's semifinal round at the Vernon Hills Athletic Complex.

No. 1 seed Blake Bazarnik needed just under 40 minutes to dispatch Matt Schneider of Zion-Benton in straight sets to become the fifth player through for the defending champions.

This morning at 8:30, Bazarnik will meet No. 4 Sam Winkler (Lake Forest), who survived a long three-setter against Griffin Pils of Libertyville in the quarterfinals.

"It was good to finally play and get some of the rust off after waiting so long for my first match, but this is all fun right now, and I am excited for my teammates and our chances of winning our third straight team title," said Bazarnik, who in two weeks will likely be anointed the top seed when the state tournament begins.

Doubles mates Dennis Kontorovich and Ryan Buxbaum overcame a slow start to defeat Lakes (Mike Buslawski-Josh Rosenberg) 6-3, 6-2 and guarantee their safe passage through to face No. 3 Jack Springgate and Anish Raman of Libertyville this morning.

"We were so tight and had a bad case of nerves in that first set, but once we got it going in that second set we were fine," said Buxbaum, who was at No. 3 doubles all of last season - while Kontorovich was making his first appearance at No. 1 this season for the Pats.

Springgate and Raman, who have suffered just a pair of losses on the season (13-2), are looking forward to their breakfast special meeting against the No. 1 Patriots - with an eye toward bigger and better things.

"We didn't come (here) just to have a good showing, but to win the doubles title," said the four-year varsity veteran Raman. "We feel if we can win (it) all, it will be the first step towards getting into the state tournament in two weeks."

On the top half of the doubles bracket, No. 2 Andy Walker-Peter Wolniak of Lake Forest meets No. 4 Nikola Trukov-Paul Schlais of Warren in the other semifinal.

Lake Zurich freshman Grant Thompson cruised in his quarterfinal over fellow freshman Kristiyan Trukov of Warren by scores of 6-4, 6-0 and will face another rookie sensation in Ismail Kadyrov, the No. 2 seed from Vernon Hills.

Thompson, who recently played at No. 1 doubles with teammate Eric Wolf at the Pitchford, missed just over a week of play after being slowed by a viral infection, thought to be initially a bout of appenddicitis.

"It set me back for a little while, but I feel really well right now and I am glad to be back playing again," Thompson said.