Several tennis players from area could contend at state
With April coming to a close soon, here’s a look at five state title contenders in area boys tennis this season.
Surya Arvind, sr., Brookfield Central
One of the area’s most consistent players will be in the hunt to bring home Brookfield Central’s first individual singles title since David Massart won back-to-back titles for the Lancers in 1984 and 1985. Senior leader Surya Arvind “is as steady as they come on the court”, according to coach Jon Vogt, and is one of the best in-match adjusters you’ll see.
“He is never out of a match. Surya also has such a variety of power and placement that he is comfortable playing against a lot of styles of player,” Vogt said. “He can out rally, use his power or come to the net, all of which he does well. He just changes those up based upon who he is playing.”
Arvind has made the state tournament quarterfinals the last two postseasons and holds an 88-24 record so far in his career.
Oscar Corwin, sr., Brookfield East
The champ is back. Western Michigan recruit and defending Division 1 singles state champion Oscar Corwin will look to become the first repeat champion in D1 since his older brother Felix captured two straight crowns in 2013 and 2014. If Corwin wins again, it would be the sixth individual state title for Brookfield East since Felix’s backto-back run to go along with three team state titles for East in that same span.
With another appearance in Madison at the end of the season, it would be Corwin’s fourth straight trip to state as an individual. He was the No.16 overall seed as a freshman, the No. 4 seed two seasons ago and won the title as the top overall seed last year. A second singles title would be Corwin’s fourth of his career after also helping the Spartans win back-to-back state team titles in his first two seasons.
Hayden Latus, sr., Catholic Memorial
Catholic Memorial coach Chris Benyousky described senior singles star Hayden Latus as a “positive force” for the Crusaders on and off the courts. “His energy and enthusiasm for tennis, and really life in general, are infectious and rubs off on his teammates,” Benyousky said. “Hayden’s always pushing to improve and embraces the challenge of his toughest opponents. We love his passion for the game and the way he embraces the team concept, too.”
Latus was named Classic 8 Conference player of the year and was given the No. 6 overall seed in last season’s D2 individual state singles tournament. He qualified for the semifinals before being eliminated 4-6, 0-6 to Brookfield Academy’s Adrian Yin. As a sophomore, Latus was the No. 8 seed in the individual singles bracket and helped lead the Crusaders to within one match of the D2 state team title. He’ll be one of the contenders to stand atop the podium in June.
Nolan Shaub, jr., Union Grove
First-year coach Alex Van Hoof called Nolan Shaub “the best high school player he’s ever watched.”That’s high praise from the former three-year player at Kenosha Bradford, but Shaub hopes to continue to build on last year’s momentum from a 26-2 season and an appearance in the D1 state singles quarterfinals where he fell to eventual champion Oscar Corwin from Brookfield East. “He’s an even better teammate,” Van Hoof said. “He loves practice, loves being on the team. He doesn’t get frustrated with some of the more novice players and is happy to help out when they need it.” Union Grove’s No. 1 player is unbeaten so far this season, dropping just a single game in a loaded Steinbach Classic field.
Adrian Yin, sr., Brookfield Academy
Back-to-back Division 2 state singles champion Max Watchmaker from University School of Milwaukee has graduated, but the trek through the D2 state tournament will still be as difficult for the field. Brookfield Academy’s ace Adrian Yin is back for one more go-around and will likely be a top seed entering this year’s bracket. He’s been a top-three seed in each of the last two state tournaments and battled Watchmaker in a 4-6, 6-2, 6-10 thriller in last year’s state title match.
“Adrian has accomplished a lot already in his young life, and we are excited to see continued success on the tennis court as well this year,” Brookfield Academy coach Michael Rajchel said. “His tennis IQ is the highest I’ve seen at the high school level and that knowledge he shares with his teammates is priceless.”