Holding court

Hasan Fazelbhoy could be considered the international ambassador for the CAPA boys’ tennis team.

When visiting squads arrive at The Lakes, Broad Street and Pattison Avenue, the native of Pakistan welcomes them and introduces his teammates one by one.

But come game time, Fazelbhoy assumes the identity of All-Public first singles player, offering a much less cordial greeting to his opponents.

"He is probably one of the top five players in the city," CAPA coach John Dunphy said of the team captain.

Fazelbhoy, 18, formerly of the 2000 block of Bainbridge Street, has become the cornerstone of the Pegasus tennis program.

"He is vitally important to our team," Dunphy said. "He is the foundation."

Fazelbhoy also is highly competitive, and wants the opportunity to celebrate his athletic success with the entire school.

"I am making it so our team has a pep rally because in three years, my team has never had a pep rally," said Fazelbhoy, who attended the school’s celebration for the defending boys’ volleyball squad.

This season is the Pegasus’ first as an all-boys’ tennis team. CAPA converted from its coed format to conform to the guidelines of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association. Girls’ tennis is now held in the fall, but CAPA had to drop the program when only four athletes came out for the team.

CAPA served up its first victory as all-boys’ squad Monday by defeating Washington, 5-2.

As a veteran, Fazelbhoy feels an added responsibility to help the Pegasus keep winning. During the preseason, when the squad focused on basic drills like how to grip a racket, swing technique and footwork, he put in extra time by practicing with his teammates on weekends.

Fazelbhoy picked up his basic tennis skills while attending elementary school in Pakistan. He initially preferred sports that were more popular in his country, such as cricket and squash, but that changed once a coach noticed his forehand swing. Fazelbhoy started getting rides to tennis clubs so he could play regularly. Now living in Center City, he has no problem finding courts.

AFTER ARRIVING IN the United States in 1998, when so his father started a business, Fazel-bhoy experienced only a little culture shock.

"I got used to it, it wasn’t that bad," he said.

Fazelbhoy, who hasn’t returned to Pakistan since 2001, said he still misses big family dinners with his aunts, uncles and cousins.

His tennis game also required some adjustment to compete with the city’s top high-school talent.

"I used to have a two-handed forehand, but with the kids being so good, I had to switch to one hand," said Fazelbhoy, a big fan of tennis champion Andre Agassi. "There is a lot more competition here than back home. As I played more and more, I got into it."

His forehand has now developed to the point that Dunphy has a hard time hitting him.

"He can really drive that ball," the coach said. "His serve is a lot more accurate."

Fazelbhoy also is excelling in the classroom as a member of the National Honor Society. His curriculum features a concentration in film and he has dabbled with behind-the-scenes work for school plays, but has no plans of becoming a Hollywood director.

Instead, Fazelbhoy wants to pursue a career in sports medicine. The student got hooked after his biology teacher nominated him to attend last year’s National Youth Medical Conference at Villanova.

"I spoke to some doctors and got to experience how it feels to be a medical student, and I liked it," he said.

As a result, Fazelbhoy is bound for Drexel University, where he will be a premed major. The athlete is considering trying out for the Dragons tennis team, but not before he gets a look at the competition.

For now, Fazelbhoy’s priority is helping the Pegasus contend for the Public League title and possibly qualify for PIAA state tournament action.

As an All-Public captain, Fazelbhoy knows his job is to set the winning tone.

"There is some pressure, but as long as everyone does well, we’ll be fine," he said. "Hopefully we’ll build a strong foundation for next year, when I am not going to be here."

SPORTS IN A FLASH

The CAPA softball team made a successful Public League debut Monday, scoring a 15-0 win over Simon Gratz. The game was called after junior pitcher Kim Paynter retired nine batters in order over three innings. Gia Shepherd led the Pegasus’ offense with three hits and six RBI.

In high-school baseball action, junior Bill McGovern tossed a no-hitter in Prep Charter’s 16-0 win over Del-Val Charter on Tuesday afternoon. The pitcher recorded eight strikeouts while surrendering one walk in the five-inning victory. The Huskies scored their runs on 13 hits, which included a double and home run by Michael Digneo. Prep Charter broke the game open with 12 runs in the first two innings.

The win improved the Huskies’ record to 2-0-1, which includes last Thursday’s 15-4 victory over University City. Prep Charter will host William Penn today and Ben Franklin tomorrow. Both games start at 3:15 p.m.

Also in the Public League, the Bok Wildcats baseball team defeated Roxborough 10-4 Tuesday for its first win of the season. Senior pitcher Robert LaMotta struck out seven. Bok will host Fels tomorrow at 3:15 p.m.