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Boys tennis opens RIIL's spring postseason. Here's what you need to know

eric rueb, the providence journal
·4 min read

Championship season has arrived.

It’s the first weekend in May and the RIIL postseason officially begins on Saturday with the first two rounds of the Boys Singles and Doubles Tennis Championships.

The tourney was originally supposed to start on Friday and wrap up on Sunday, but a scheduling issue pushed the first two days to the weekend with the championship match being played on Friday, May 12, at 4 p.m. at Slater Park.

So who’s playing?

More: Who are the best boys tennis players RI has to offer? These 10 are a good place to start

Hendricken’s Jack Ciunci is back to defend his title and sits atop the bracket as the tournament’s No. 1 seed. He’ll face Pawtucket’s Ruben Lopes in a first-round match.

Last year Hendricken's Jack Ciunci celebrated on the court at Barrington High School after winning the RIIL Boys Tennis Singles Championship. Will he be able to defend his crown this spring? We'll find out soon enough as the tournament begins play on Saturday.
Last year Hendricken's Jack Ciunci celebrated on the court at Barrington High School after winning the RIIL Boys Tennis Singles Championship. Will he be able to defend his crown this spring? We'll find out soon enough as the tournament begins play on Saturday.

The only other returning semifinals is Barrington’s Luke Sapolsky, who’s seeded fourth overall. That means a potential semifinal rematch with Ciunci, who eliminated him last spring and also happens to be his cousin. Sapolsky plays Providence Country Day’s Hudson Dunn in Round 1.

After missing last spring's state tourney, Lincoln's Camden DiChiara is ready to give it a go this spring as the No. 2 seed in the RIIL Boys Singles State Championship, which starts on Saturday at Slater Park.
After missing last spring's state tourney, Lincoln's Camden DiChiara is ready to give it a go this spring as the No. 2 seed in the RIIL Boys Singles State Championship, which starts on Saturday at Slater Park.

Lincoln’s Camden DiChiara is the No. 2 seed. The junior missed last spring’s tournament after a family commitment prevented him from playing in the divisional qualifier. DiChiara had an impressive run as a freshman in 2021 and will get his 2023 campaign started against Chariho’s Philip Abby.

La Salle freshman Andrew Smith is the tournament’s No. 3 seed. Smith has developed into one of the state’s best players in his rookie season, stepping up in big way for the Rams after a few of their top singles players left the team. Smith opens the tournament playing East Greenwich's No. 1 freshman Henry Seeley.

While Division I players take up the top eight seeds, Ponaganset’s top two of Josh Steere and Ethan Clegg are the highest-seeded players from Division II. Steere begins his tournament with a match against South Kingstown No. 3 Ian Linn and, in the upper half of the bracket, would be in line to play Sapolsky in the quarterfinals.

Ethan Clegg and teammate Josh Steere will represent Ponaganset at this weekend's RIIL Boys Tennis Singles State Tournament as the top two seeds out of Division II.
Ethan Clegg and teammate Josh Steere will represent Ponaganset at this weekend's RIIL Boys Tennis Singles State Tournament as the top two seeds out of Division II.

Clegg is also matched up against a Rebel, playing SK No. 2 Elliot Roman. Clegg is in the bottom half of the bracket in the same quadrant as DiChiara. If Clegg wins his first match, he’d potentially play the tourney’s No. 7 seed, Smithfield’s Aidan Fair, who opens his tournament against North Smithfield’s Sam Drolet.

Defending team state champ La Salle has three players in the tournament. No. 2 Nolan O’Brien finds himself in the top half of the bracket and is set to play Classical’s Ethan Montane in the first round and the winner would play either SK’s Ethan Lin — the No. 8 seed in the tournament — or Chariho’s Christian Resinger.

The other Ram to qualify is No. 3 Dyllon Litmanovich, who gets Cranston East No. 1 Eston Fowler in the first round. If Litmanovich wins, it would give him a potential matchup against Smith, his teammate.

Hendricken has two others in the tournament in addition to Ciunci. No. 2 Nick Komari is seeded sixth overall and opens against North Kingstown No. 1 Henry Coughlin. If he wins, Komari could play another Hawk, but St. Raphael All-Stater Travis Chartier will have a say in the matter. Chartier is up against Hendricken No. 3 Jahn Torres with the winner playing the winner of the Komari-Coughlin match.

After losing in last spring's double final, Moses Brown's Gabe Mamdani is back with partner Kenneth Shen and ready to try and win a title at this spring's RIIL Doubles State Tournament.
After losing in last spring's double final, Moses Brown's Gabe Mamdani is back with partner Kenneth Shen and ready to try and win a title at this spring's RIIL Doubles State Tournament.

In doubles, Barrington’s Bryce Kupperman and Gabe Anderson earned the tournament’s top seed and will open against Chariho’s Travis Liese and Maddox Burdon. La Salle’s James Grace and Zachary Perullo are the No. 2 seed and play Narragansett’s Luke Williams and Alex Goldberg in the first round.

Moses Brown’s Kenneth Shen and Gabe Mandani are back and will try to avenge last year’s championship-match loss as the No. 4 seed. They open their tournament against East Providence’s Jordan O’Hara and John Vaughan.

Smithfield’s Alex Nardolillo and Kirill Satouk are the No. 3 seed in the doubles tournament and will play Chariho’s No. 2 team of Jack Grisson and Nick Feisthamel.

Singles play begins Saturday starting at 9 a.m. at Slater Park with two rounds. The quarterfinal and semifinal rounds will take place on Sunday at Slater starting at noon.

The doubles tournament has one round on Saturday starting at noon before shifting over to Slater Park on Sunday for the quarterfinal and semifinal matches.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: RI high school boys tennis playoffs begin this weekend