It's all Redhawks in sweep of Rams

It was a rare beautiful spring day, so playing an extended three-set match wasn't the worst thing in the world.

After the other six matches were long finished, first-singles Tyler Hoffman of host Naperville Central and David Perkins of Glenbard East battled to the end with Hoffman coming up with a 6-4, 5-7, 7-5 win to give Naperville Central a 7-0 sweep over the previously undefeated visitors.

"He's a fast kid," Hoffman said of Perkins. "He made me play the longest points possible the whole match and he did a good job of frustrating me. I finally decided to try to hit the ball short to make him run all over the court," Hoffman said.

"Tyler found a way to win," Brown said. "He went through his toolbox and found it just in time."

Perkins, who was the Most Valuable Player on the Rams soccer team last fall, used his soccer toughness to come back from match point twice with Hoffman leading 5-4 to force a 7-5 decision in the third set.

"Earlier in the year I was foiled by a player who got everything back and let me make mistakes," Perkins said. "So I tried to keep getting things back to frustrate him and hoped that I would get some breaks. I got a few more than I thought I would. This was the most fun I've had in a match in my four years of high school tennis."

The Redhawks (4-0, 2-0) won everything else in two sets, keeping clean sheets (6-0, 6-0) in four of their wins, including all three doubles matches and dropping only one game at third singles.

Second-singles Rachit Marwaha of Naperville Central was challenged in the first set but topped the Rams' Otto Gottlieb 6-3, 6-1

"We have quite a bit of experience in our doubles lineup and that showed today," said Naperville Central coach Dan Brown.

Sophomore Kevin Bauman, who teamed with senior returning state-qualifier Neal Walters in a new partnership at first doubles, was the only varsity newcomer in the Redhawks lineup.

"We're working out real well. Kevin is a good player," Walters said. "We both have good singles and good doubles games. We can both either stay back or come to the net."

"Neal takes more of the leadership role," Bauman said. "He's had experience playing at this level. It's a pleasure to play with him. Our games fit together."

Burt thought the Rams (7-1, 1-1) could take some comfort Thursday's experience even through the convincing team loss.

"This is the kind of team we'll have to play well against in order to do well in May," Burt said. "I think we learned that we have to improvise less and stick to what works, high-percentage shots. Naperville Central is a quality team. They make you play hard to get anything. That's how we want to play."

Brown was just overjoyed that good tennis weather finally came on April 17.

"This year has been frustrating," Brown said. "When it's not raining, it's windy. This was the first time we could really see what we can do as individuals and how our doubles teams could play together."