JFK, Lakeview boys at state tennis

Staff report

COLUMBUS

Jad Abdul-Aal of Warren JFK, and Lakeview teammates Zach McDivitt and Aaron Paczak will begin play in the Division II state tennis championships today.

The tournament begins at 9 a.m. on the renovated Ohio State Varsity Courts.

Two rounds will be played in singles and doubles competition today, with the semifinals and finals scheduled for Saturday.

Abdul-Aal, a junior, will play freshman Ascher Hirsch of Cincinnati Country Day in a first-round singles match.

The singles competition features only two returning players from last year’s tournament — sophomore Patrick Wildman of Cincinnati Country Day, who finished third, and senior Andrew Linden of Sandusky St. Mary Central Catholic.

McDivitt, a senior, and Paczak, a sophomore, will take on junior Alex Markovits and senior Matt Cohen of Cincinnati Seven Hills in their first-round match.

Cohen was a state doubles competitor last year but has a new partner in Markovits.

Four doubles teams, from Gilmour Academy, Lima Central Catholic, Hawken and Cambridge, return both players from state competition in 2011.

The Div. I state tournament will also be contested this weekend, but no players from the area qualified.