As Sinnock Invitational returns, these 11 players are key to Springfield-area boys tennis success

The J.D. Sinnock Invitational is traditionally one of the most anticipated boys high school tennis tournaments in downstate Illinois.

The two-day tournament begins at 1 p.m. Friday and continues at 8 a.m. Saturday in various courts in Springfield, with the Velasco Tennis Center in Washington Park as tournament central.

In alphabetical order, here are the top area players to watch this weekend, leading into the final stretch of the season.

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Evan Aleman, Sacred Heart-Griffin

The junior took on the challenge of being SHG’s No. 1 singles player last season before teaming up with Adam Wheeling in doubles and going to the IHSA Class 1A state finals. So far this season, Aleman and Wheeling have been alternating in the top singles slot with Aleman pulling out a third-set tiebreaker win over Rochester’s top player — Paxton Garland-Sutter — in a dual meet on Apr. 10.

Talha Arshad, Chatham Glenwood

Arshad lost in the singles quarterfinals in the Class 1A sectionals last season. The sophomore is in line to be a major contributor this season in both singles and doubles.

Will Ehrlich, Chatham Glenwood

According to coach Sonthana Thongsithavong, the junior is expected to gain more experience and playing time for the Titans. Ehrlich and Arshad won a third-set tiebreaker over the No. 1 doubles team from SHG in the Troy Triad Invite on April 6. Ehrlich paired with Ben Loeffler in No. 2 doubles during this tournament last year.

Paxton Garland-Sutter, Rochester

The senior took fifth place at the Cyclone Invitational on March 23 in the No. 1 singles flight. He has been a mainstay in Rochester’s lineup since his first season and has made the 1A state finals as a freshman and junior. Garland-Sutter won two matches at state last season, including a win in the championship bracket.

Luke Harvey, Sacred Heart-Griffin

The senior has been a consistent option for SHG in doubles and will be asked to do the same in his final season. Harvey and graduate Jeff Wernsing went to the 1A state finals two straight seasons. They won two matches in the consolation bracket, while placing second in both the Central State Eight Conference and sectional tournaments.

Krish Khurana, Springfield High

The junior got to his second straight 1A state finals in singles in 2023, winning two matches in the championship bracket and helping Springfield secure a tie with Chicago University for fifth place in the team standings. Khurana won the CS8 singles championship by beating Glenwood’s Ubaydah Mahmood and was a third-place finisher at sectionals.

Ben Loeffler, Chatham Glenwood

The sophomore has spent time between No. 1 and No. 3 singles to start this season. He had an impressive straight sets win over Aleman in the Troy Triad Invite on April 6 in the No. 1 singles slot. Last season, Loeffler and graduate Joseph Doerfler just missed a state berth when they lost a grueling three-set match in the quarterfinals of the sectional tournament.

Ubaydah Mahmood, Chatham Glenwood

The senior’s preparation helped him reach his first 1A state singles finals in 2023. Mahmood had some massive wins last season, beating the defending CS8 singles champion, Abhay Hiredesai of Normal U-High, in straight sets in the conference semifinals. He also defeated Khurana in the sectional semis en route to winning a consolation match at state. His second-place finishes in the CS8 and sectional makes him a viable opponent this postseason.

James Oh, Springfield High

The plan has been set for Oh and Khurana to be Springfield High’s top doubles team during dual meets, invitationals and in the postseason. The tandem has already shown some muscle, winning the No. 1 doubles draw at the Cyclone Invitational. Oh, a senior, played singles last season, placing fifth in the No. 2 singles draw at the J.D. Sinnock Invite before reaching the quarterfinals at sectional.

Adam Wheeling, Sacred Heart-Griffin

The sophomore was thrown into the fire as a freshman when he represented the Cyclones as their No. 2 singles player last season. He also teamed up with Aleman to finish fourth in conference doubles, third at sectional and won two consolation matches at the 1A state finals. Wheeling has shown promise to start this season with a fourth-place finish in the No. 1 singles draw at the Cyclone Invitational.

Noah Williams, Springfield High

It’s the senior’s final chance to plant himself into the history books at Springfield High as one of the top players of all-time. He returns to singles for the first time since his freshman season, when he finished in the top 24 at the 1A state finals. Between that time, Williams and 2023 graduate David Lu were piling up a 64-4 doubles record in two seasons. The duo finished fifth at state in 2022 and got to the semifinals in 2023, placing fourth. They shared The SJ-R's All-Area Player of the Year award last season, giving Williams a part of that honor for three years running.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: 11 Springfield-area boys tennis players to watch this postseason