Boys tennis: Buffalo Grove’s Hristov last one standing after elite day of tennis at Hersey
The giggles gave it away.
They popped up between points, during them, after them — soft bursts from a crowd that couldn’t quite believe what it was seeing Saturday at Hersey. Not laughter at mistakes.
Laughter at brilliance.
At the Pitchford 32, the state’s deepest boys tennis invite, the shots weren’t just good. They were audacious, elastic, sometimes absurd. And when it mattered most, Buffalo Grove senior Maksim Hristov authored the loudest line of all.
The first-year Bison player and Louisville commit captured the No. 1 singles title with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Hersey junior Matthew Sikorski, the reigning Class 2A state champion, gutting through a right quad cramp that struck early in the second set.
“It locked up on me,” said Hristov, who attended a private school briefly as a freshman before transitioning to online learning for more than two years. “I’ve been in situations like that. I kept playing today because I did not want to stop playing and regret that decision later. I shortened the points, swung fast and went for winners.”
That approach — fearless and forward — fit the tournament.
Hinsdale Central rode it to the team title with 64 points, powered by championships at both doubles flights and a runner-up finish at No. 2 singles. Stevenson (45) was second, followed by New Trier (44), Barrington (43), Deerfield (42), Lane Tech (34), Lake Forest (33), Latin (31), Glenbrook North (29) and Conant (28), tied with Edwardsville.
“They call this a mini state tournament,” Hinsdale Central coach Pete Alex said. “There’s no better weekend to gear up for what’s ahead than this one.”
The Red Devils brought heat everywhere. Seniors Kyle McCain and Nicholas Marringa rolled to the No. 1 doubles title with a 6-1, 6-0 win over Barrington’s Hadi Dossani and Sohan Yousfi. At No. 2, juniors James Stangle and Braden LeBaron handled Barrington’s Shian Mittal and Omkar Gowda 7-5, 6-2.
“It was a little bit of survive and advance,” Barrington coach John Roncone said. “We’re super thrilled for both teams.”
At No. 2 singles, Lane Tech sophomore Nino Pinto claimed the crown when Hinsdale Central junior Amir Khan retired at 5-5 due to injury.
But the pulse of the two-day event lived at No. 1 singles.
Hristov’s semifinal — a 6-7 (5), 7-5, 6-1 win over Stevenson senior Jaden Dai — and Sikorski’s 6-4, 7-6 (11) semifinal victory over Streamwood junior Mathieu Veltkamp felt like previews of late May. The points were long, inventive and, at times, ridiculous.
“It was insane how good the points were on both courts,” Hersey coach and amiable invite host Andy Walton said.
Sikorski, who finished runner-up, even delivered a tweener winner with his back to the net in the final — a down-the-line shot that drew roars and, yes, more giggles.
“I’m not going for too much now,” Sikorski said. “I’m going for shots with purpose.”
Veltkamp placed third at No. 1 singles, with Dai fourth.
“Mathieu polished every one of his weapons in the offseason,” Streamwood coach Mackenzie Mowen said. “And he’s taller and quicker, with a stronger mental game.”
Stevenson junior Nikhil Vijayakumar took third at No. 2 singles. Conant’s Avi Singhal and Carter Strilich finished sixth at No. 2 doubles.
Dai, a Case Western Reserve commit, flashed his own high-end form.
“When he’s in locked-down mode, it’s fun to watch,” Stevenson coach Izzy Balase said.
Through wind and chill, the level never dipped. If anything, it climbed — point by point, gasp by gasp.
By late afternoon, the giggles had softened into something closer to appreciation. The kind you hear when a crowd realizes it has witnessed something rare.