Girls tennis: Grayslake Central's Bhalla healthy and ready to dominate
Pop! Pop! Pop!
The soundtrack - racket strings whacking overheads - of a girls tennis practice was at an outdoor-concert decibel level at Grayslake Central last August when Rams ace Karishma Bhalla detected a muffled pop only she could hear.
The sound had emanated from the righty's right shoulder.
"Right away I knew something was wrong," Bhalla, now a senior, recalled. "I felt pain. No fun."
The two-time Class 1A state qualifier in singles had suffered a torn labrum before the start of the truncated 2020 season. Surgery on Sept. 8 forced Bhalla to serve as a spectator for her entire junior season.
That hurt, too. Maybe more.
Good thing she had a season-long salve that didn't require a trip to the pharmacy.
"I had a huge support system," said Bhalla, GLC's No. 1 singles player since the start of her freshman year in 2018. "My teammates, my coaches, my family (including parents Ashwin and Dee) - all were there for me throughout my rehab, and all could not have been more encouraging than they were."
Bhalla will hear cheers after winners, instead of after physical therapy sessions, this fall. If Rams coach Chuck Lawson appears more elated than usual these days, now you know why.
"Karishma is fine. Her shoulder is as good as new," Lawson said of his 2021 singles captain. "Great news for her, great news for us. She's the real deal. Her skills are very good; she's solid in every aspect of the game. But, in addition to that, she's a fighter, always determined to win.
"When you're strong, physically and mentally, like Karishma is, you're in super shape overall and you have a lot going for you."
Bhalla, an effective baseliner with a consistent serve, earned a 9-16 singles seed at state and reached the Round of 16 in each of her first two seasons.
Her aim in her final prep season is a spot in a singles semifinal at state, which would give her a shot to eclipse Lynne Poggensee-Wei's program-best fourth-place showing (achieved twice, in 2004 and in '06). But nothing would thrill Bhalla more than to accompany a full boat of qualifiers (another GLC singles player and a pair of Rams doubles teams) to this fall's state meet.
Bhalla began honing her game 10 years ago under professional instructor Rod Schroeder at the Racquet Club of Lake Bluff. Now, as a first-year volunteer this summer, she's teaching the game to youngsters at Ivanhoe Club in Mundelein.
"I stress hard work and fundamentals when I teach," said Bhalla, who hopes to play college tennis and pursue a career in a medical field, possibly sports medicine.
Off the court, Bhalla is here, there, everywhere. She's a co-president of her school's National Honor Society, a serial Student Council member and a math/reading tutor.
Traveling?
To Bhalla, that ranks right up there with a 6-0, 6-0 victory in the Gratifying-O-Meter.
"I love to travel," she said, noting she has landed in five other countries. "I haven't been to Greece, but that's a place I have to visit someday. The sights there are beautiful."
Sneaker steps first.
Like the ones she'll take to travel to a baseline for the warm-up session in the season opener.
Bhalla is back.