Tennis Team Prepared for Sectional Game Today

Westfield High School's tennis team is rolling and at the right time.

The Blue Devils, the top seed in the North II Group IV Tournament, will play No. 2 seed Hillsborough Tuesday afternoon for the sectional championship at the Plainfield High School courts at Hub Stine Field. Match time is 4 p.m.

Three-time defending champion Westfield, 24-3, spent about an hour rolling past No. 4 seed Ridge 4-1 Thursday in Westfield. Hillsborough, 20-1, has lost 3-2 only to Montgomery, which it beat in their second meeting. The Raiders crushed J.P. Stevens 5-0 to advance to the championship match.

The Blue Devils are after their 14th sectional title and 21st overall state group title.

"We played really, really well against Ridge,'' said coach George Kapner, whose team is 24-3. "We were done in a little over an hour.''

The Blue Devils' only loss in the triumph over Ridge was at first singles where Alex Ruderman beat senior Scott Bernstein 6-2, 6-3.

"Ruderman is one of the best players in the state,'' Kapner said.

The Blue Devils will need every point and an outstanding outing from all seven of their players to topple Hillsborough. Bernstein will face the Raiders' Steven Wu, who won the Somerset County Tournament first singles championship last year. Wu was beaten 6-2, 6-2 by Ruderman in this year's county final. Hillsborough shared the Somerset crown with Montgomery.

"Every match is going to be very difficult, tough,'' Kapner said.

Westfield's balance will go a long way in how much it accomplishes.

"Scott is our best player, no doubt, but I can take our next six players, throw them into a hat and we'll win every single match no matter how they fall,'' Kapner said.

Second singles player Justin Snyder played three strong sets and senior Adam Reich has looked stronger in every match since returning from surgery to both hips. Snyder might be the most unheralded Blue Devil.

"He's a great player, playing on a great team,'' Kapner said. "I expect the world of him.''

Graeme Stahln and Alan Chu have continued their outstanding season. Hillsborough's second doubles team of Pawel Mankowski and Will Henderson won the Somerset championship and will face Scott Thompson and Tom Kowalski.