With former ace back in the fold, St. John's boys' tennis has hit its stride in time for playoffs
Former St. John's athlete Chris Ellis, who carved an eye-catching niche in Central Mass. tennis during his headline-grabbing high school days, has returned for another season as an assistant tennis coach at his alma mater. In addition, Ellis is working alongside his high school coach, Ed Hippert. The two mesh well together and a bond that was formed during Ellis' adolescence remains strong.
Ellis, who played college tennis at Bates, is enjoying the opportunity to interact with young athletes committed to tennis - athletes who are willing to work diligently to hone their skills as they scale the tennis ladder. Against that backdrop, Ellis, who coached the team in a match last Friday against Shrewsbury while Hippert attended a wedding, eyes the current crop of Pioneer hitters and admits that things are going well.
"We have a real good team this year, plus I enjoy working with high school kids," Ellis, a 2013 St. John's graduate, said. "I love high school tennis. Before this, I was doing a little bit of pro coaching and I didn't really like it as it was way too serious. I didn't feel like I was really appreciated by the pros. High school coaching is totally different. It's an opportunity to mentor high school kids. I absolutely love it."
"It's great coming back to St. John's – it's a great high school and the facility is beautiful," Ellis added. "The players have been great. They're good listeners, and they show up to practice every single day and they want to be here. They want to get better and that makes my job so much easier."
Ellis has had opportunities to hit with the players, including No. 1 singles standout, Hriday Karthik, a junior. Coaching an improving, committed tennis player like Karthik is something that Ellis savors.
"He's such a cool guy to watch because he's so good, mentally," Ellis said. "He fights for every single point and his forehand is really good. He's also a big leader for this team. comes to practice every day and works hard. His commitment to training is unbelievable."
Going up against the best, Karthik has lost just one match during his high school career. Ellis is optimistic that Karthik will get better and better as he grinds on.
Befitting a good team, Karthik gets plenty of help.
St. John's gets standout play at second singles, which is manned by Tejas Balaji. Among other things, Balaji is strong at the baseline and is effective with his forehands and backhands. He also has a high tennis IQ.
The Pioneers' depth enables the coaching staff to use multiple players at third singles. Rushil Mohan has been solid when he's gotten the call and gets by with a consistent all-around game. Ellis added that though only a sophomore, Mohan fights for every point. Freshman Lukas Pannenborg has also been in the mix at third singles.
St. Johns' first doubles team, a consistent point producer all spring, is comprised of Matt Luyrink and Arjun Nargolwala. Ellis noted that Luyrink has "amazing" hands and hits a really big ball. Luyrink also excels in the leadership department. He leads by example, Ellis added. Meanwhile, Nargolwala is a dominant all-court player who teams well with Luyrink.
Pannenborg's versatility enables him to play at second doubles as well. He volleys well and is adept at moving around the court. Pannenborg works efficiently with partner Brendan Estephan, a left-hander. Serving with his left hand has been a neat benefit for Estephan as it sometimes throws an opponent off due to a pronounced "lefty spin." Estephen is also a skilled net player.
St. John's, which plays a difficult schedule that includes the likes of BC High, St. John's Prep and Needham, ended last week with an 11-6 record.
Contact Craig Holt at sports@telegram.com.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: With former ace back in the fold, St. John's boys' tennis has hit its stride in time for playoffs
