Unionville freshman Andrew Ou wins Ches-Mont American singles title

WESTTOWN >> Watching an all-Unionville matchup in the championship finals of the Ches-Mont American Division Singles Tournament extend to three sets Saturday afternoon, Longhorns’ coach Jimmy O’Rourke noted the depth of his squad.
“Our top 6-7 players on any given day could beat each other,” said O’Rourke, whose Longhorns are undefeated in the Ches-Mont League this spring (with only two losses, to state power Lower Merion and Dallastown).
Unionville freshman Andrew Ou captured the Ches-Mont American singles title in the championship final at West Chester Rustin Saturday, beating senior teammate Andrew Poprik, 6-2, 5-7, 6-2. The two Longhorns were the two top seeds in the tournament, and by advancing to Saturday’s championship final, they both qualified for the PIAA District 1 singles tournament.
O’Rourke said, “(Ou’s) game is about consistency and placement. He’s quick-footed and gets to (just about) every ball. (Poprik) is a power server, has a power game. Once the two of them got into the finals, it was great seeing them play each other on a somewhat stress-free level. The biggest thing in the final was that neither of them got hurt, and they’ll be seeing some crazy good kids at Districts that should propel their skills.
Ou advanced to the championship final with a 7-5, 6-2 win against Great Valley freshman Vivek Arvind in the semifinals Saturday.
“I wasn’t used to playing (Arvind), he hit a lot of shots early that I didn’t get to, and I fell behind early in the first set,” said Ou. “Later I got used to his shots, and I became less timid on my serves.
“In the finals, I was playing a teammate, so it was (less stressful). I’m looking forward to some high-level tennis (in districts).”
During the season, Ou has held the No. 1 singles spot for Unionville, while Poprik has been the No. 2 singles player.
Poprik advanced to the championship final with a 7-5, 6-3 win against Great Valley junior Krish Mendiratta.
“The semifinal, for me, was the bigger match, because if I won it I was going to Districts,” said Poprik. “I was really locked in during the semifinals — I was not losing that match. When I fell behind 3-1 in the second set, I worked on staying calm, on my breathing and on my footwork.”
O’Rourke praised the leadership that Poprik and the other Unionville upperclassmen have shown this season.
“The upperclassmen have done a great job taking in the younger guys, and there were a lot of them,” said O’Rourke. “This spring, we had 17 new guys come out for the team, and 10 of them were freshmen. And it was good to see some (Unionville players) coming out to watch the matches today. Even though (Ou and Poprik) are playing as individuals today, they’re playing for the team, the shirt, which is good.”
Great Valley featured both the third- and fourth-place finishers in the Ches-Mont American Division singles tournament, Junior Krish Mendiratta and freshman Vivek Arvind. Mendiratta was the third seed in the bracket, and Arvind was the fifth seed. Arvind had to beat the fourth seed, Unionville’s Matt Miller, in the quarterfinals to advance to Saturday’s semifinals.
Like Unionville, Great Valley’s strong presence in the the Ches-Mont American Division singles tournament displayed the Patriots’ depth. Arvind was Great Valley’s No. 3 singles player earlier this spring, but moved to No. 2 when Mendiratta’s twin brother Revant was sidelined at mid-season with an ankle injury.
In the third-place match between Arvind and Krish Mendiratta, the latter prevailed in a three-set match, 0-6, 6-0, 6-4. Mendiratta has been the Patriots’ No. 1 singles player both this spring and last year, and can still receive a wildcard berth in the District 1 singles tournament as a wild card.
“Krish has an all-court game, with good variety, he’s consistent and quick around the court,” said Great Valley head coach Gerry McGrath. “Vivek can hit improbable shots from improbable locations, and he hits shots harder than his [physical] size.”
“I was focusing on hitting my serves, getting my kick serves in,” said Mendiratta, who finished fourth at the Ches-Mont American singles tourney last year.
“I was working on my consistency in the quarterfinals,” said Arvind of his victorious match against Miller to advance to Saturday.
McGrath noted that Revant Mendiratta should be back in time for the PIAA post-season, an encouraging sign for the Patriots, who have compiled a 10-2 record this spring (losses only to Lower Merion and Unionville).