Unseeded Senior Caps Career with Bergen County Tournament Title

For senior tennis ace Zach Lipson, the third time truly was a charm.

Lipson entered the Bergen County Tournament two weekends ago as an unseeded underdog who had failed to win a single match in his two prior trips to the end-of-season competition.

Masked by those earlier results, however, was Lipson's raw natural talent for the game. He'd never lacked the physical ability to compete on the county's highest stage, but on occasion mental lapses had marred his consistency.

“I would just think, you know, maybe a match would be not as difficult as I thought it would be," Lipson said. "I’d get a little bit lazy and hit one too many backhands on balls that I could have hit a forehand with, not run around it." 

His coach, Matthew Markman, said that over the course of Lipson's high school career, the lefty's lack of concentration had cost him a few winnable matches.

"He had some tough losses where he was up and he should have won," Markman said. "He’d get up big leads in matches and then he would just stop moving his feet or stop being aggressive."

When it came time for his final shot at a county crown two weekends ago, Lipson wasn't about to let himself slip into complacency.

"All I really kept telling myself was 'Move your feet,'" he said after the tournament. "That was one thing that I learned that I couldn’t live without. If I was flat-footed for one shot I would usually miss it, and it’s all about consistency for me."

And consistent he was. The unassuming senior blew through four straight opponents -- including the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds -- en route to a Bergen County Tournament second singles title on Mother's Day.

"I think for the first time for four matches straight he did all the right things," Markman said. "It was incredible to watch and be a part of."

Like any good cinderella, Lipson had the crowd pulling for him as he picked up steam.

"Not only me but other coaches and teams were like, 'Coach, I really hope your kid pulls it out because he’s such a gentleman, such a nice kid,'" Markman said. "It was just a really great story.”

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Lipson had never played tennis competitively before joining the team as a freshman, so from the start he knew he had a lot to learn.

"I started off terribly -- couldn’t keep the ball in the court, couldn’t hit a serve in," Lipson remembered. "And then as time went on, I was just basically listening to my coaches…to get better and better and work on things on my own with friends."

Over time, all of Lipson's hard work and game study elevated his play to a higher level. 

"Eventually I figured out what worked," he said. "It got me here." 

Markman spoke glowingly of the 17-year-old's dedication and development as a player.

"Any coach that has worked with him in the offseason has said incredible stuff about his worth ethic," Markman said. "He loves the sport. I just watched him get better and better."

Next year, Lipson will head northward to Ithaca College where he'll study Integrated Marketing Communications and play on the tennis team.

Markman said Lipson's dual ability to serve and volley should make him a valuable asset at the college level, which, unlike high school, permits players to play in both singles and doubles matches.

"I think the team is going to really use both parts of his game," said Markman, who expects Lipson will be a top three or four singles player and a top two doubles player at Ithaca. "Division III is perfect, he should be able to do real well in Division III tennis."

If Lipson can just remember to keep his feet moving at the next level, the sky's the limit.

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