Expect Pitchford to groom another champ

There can be little doubt to the magnitude of the Pitchford 32 in terms of how high the stakes are raised once this magnificent boys tennis mega-tournament gets under way this afternoon at six area venues.

This annual precursor to the state tournament, which occurs at the end of the month, features nearly every top singles player and doubles team from around the state in a setting which almost always provides a few surprises. It also serves notice as to who will be given favored status when the seeding committee gets together in late May.

"Theoretically, you win (the) 32 and you've positioned yourself to be a 1-2 seed at the state tournament and a leg up on the competiton," says New Trier assistant Peter Rose, who won a doubles title in 1997 with Russell Bennett. "It would be interesting to see how many times a champion (here) would go on to win a state title later that year."

Last season Denis Bogatov of Warren would earn a 1-2 seed at the No. 1 singles flight before dropping a straight-set match in the finals to Glenbrook North star and 3-4 seed Eric Spector, only to gain a measure of revenge by defeating Spector in a thrilling straight-sets final.

One year earlier, Evan King of Chicago Payton needed 3 sets to defeat Connor Roth of Benet for the championship crown at the 32. It set up a rematch on center court where King needed just 2 sets to upend Roth for his state title.

"I won a state title, but never at the (32) and I can tell you that I always wanted to win a championship at the Pitchford," says New Trier coach Tad Eckert, who might be one of the few in modern history who won a state singles crown (1989) without the advantage of being a top-eight seed at the tourney.

"Tom (Pitchford) once told me that the tournament was actually held in the Champaign area and was a 32 (draw) played on courts that were not very good, but it took a long time to get everything moved north," says Jim Gelhaar, long-time coach and educator who helped run the state tournament.

The genius, and founder of this tournament was the late, great Pitchford, who started a four-team tournament while head coach at Arlington High School, moved to Hersey in 1984 when Arlington closed, and continued on until his death in 1988.

In the spring of 1989, the tournament was named in his honor and gradually grew into today's 32-team monster-thon where the physical and mental strain introduced to players over two days is exactly what anyone who plays deep into the state tournament will experience.

"The 32 is the tournament every player wants to play in," says Deerfield coach and former Palatine head coach Josh Leighton. "I still remember when I was in junior high, my dad (Corky, head coach at Lake Forest) would bring me over to watch, and I would dream of playing in this tournament afterward."

Leighton won the coveted Tom Pitchford Memorial Sportsmanship Award in 1992 as a senior at Glenbrook North.

Although the format at the 32 is unlike the state tournament with its crowning of champions at Nos. 1 and 2 singles and doubles, it is still quite an accomplishment to earn the big hardware late Saturday afternoon.

Winning this two-day battle will take five matches, one less than the state tournament series, which is played over three days.

Talk to enough current and former players and an immediate smile comes across their faces as it sends many back to a particular game, set or match in an instant.

"Playing in the tournament and finishing second at (No.) 2 doubles is one of my best memories of all - that and running the tournament when it doesn't rain," teases 32 and state tournament director Matt Norris.

The former boys and girls head coach at Hersey and current dean of students met with several coaches earlier in the week to sift through players records in order to put together a fair and just 32-player draw.

And there is no doubt the No. 1 singles field an awesome group this season.

Denis Bogatov (Warren, 14-1) and Blake Bazarnik (Stevenson, 7-0) share the spotlight at the 1-2 seed, followed closely by 3-4 Augie Bloom (8-1) of Hinsdale Central and Robert Stineman (New Trier, 11-1).

All are state medalists, Stineman last season at doubles.

Bazarnik has a tough draw at the bottom half of the bracket, with potential matches with two-time state medalist Drew Feder (Belleville East, 16-1) in the third round today, and Bloom in the semis Saturday.

Bogatov, whose lone loss of the season is to Glenbrook South star Michael Moore, who is not here this weekend, could see Stineman in the semifinals. Two weeks ago Stineman defeated the No. 2 rated USTA player in the Midwest, Billy Bertha of Wisconsin, in 3 sets.

Teammates Hiroshi Kawashima and Andrew Miron (8-2) and the Rockford Guilford team of Austin Roos and Danny Park (15-2) will be chasing 1-2 seeds David Packowitz and Ross Putterman (9-0) of Stevenson as well as the Hinsdale Central duo of Dan Ballantine and Ian Tesmond (11-1) in the race for top dog at No. 1 doubles.

"This is a big test for both David and Ross," admits Stevenson head coach Mark Linnenburger, of his 2008 state doubles runners-up.

"Everyone is gunning for them, and being a top seed makes that target that much bigger."

Linnenburger will look for 3-4 seeds Etham Frankel (6-2) and Nick Stephan and Alec Turner (8-1) at No. 2 singles and doubles to provide some extra punch in the points race as the Patriots and all others will be chasing New Trier and Hinsdale Central.

Hinsdale Central returns all six from its state championship team from a year ago, while the Trevians' with their depth, sent two of their star players (Brantner Jones and Andrew Scholnick) to Edwardsville this weekend to give others a chance to compete at the 32.

Several area players were given 9-16 seeds including: Kenta Shimizu (Fremd, 10-1), Jon Kiefer-Sam Pope (Prospect, 9-2) and David Martin-Cam McClelland, Barrington, 12-4) as well as the No. 2 doubles team from Fremd (Mike Artov-Ryo Miyawaki, 9-1).

Friday at 2 p.m. play will begin at Hersey, Prospect, Palatine, Fremd, Buffalo Grove and Rolling Meadows, with matches set to begin Saturday at 8 a.m.

For updated brackets, scores and venue sites, go to the home page of the Hersey High School Web site and click on the Pitchford 32 icon.