Liberty’s boys tennis team opened its season with 7-0 victories over Emmaus and Easton last week.

Hurricane coach Chris Conrad has the good fortune of 35 players on Liberty’s roster this year, so although singles players are set for the season, the doubles lineup will be fluid.

Shayaan Farhad has assumed the first singles spot after playing second singles last year.

“I started implementing pattern play more, and I use my forehand more as a weapon. Especially against Emmaus, I was able to hit a lot of clean winners,” he said. “I would like for us to win districts, and I think if everyone does their job, there should be no reason why we shouldn’t.”

Farhad’s younger brother Roman, who played doubles and singles last year, is the ‘Canes two singles player.

“It’s a lot more pressure for some of the matches,” he said. “[At Emmaus] I almost lost, but I think it’s going to be more rewarding, and I hope I do well. Since it was my first match, I was nervous and played bad in the first set, and then in the second and third set, I just clicked.”

The Farhad brothers dropped their first sets to the Hornets but came back to win the next two.

“I think we were all a little nervous, knowing that our opening match was against a good team,” said Coach Conrad. “I think we did a good job of wearing down our opponents in those particular matches because in both the second and third sets, they weren’t anywhere near as close as the first.”

Luke Appleman also played doubles last year but has moved to third singles.

“It’s been pretty easy. I’m more of a singles player than a doubles player, honestly,” Appleman said. “ [At Emmaus], I started off slow but Coach told me to settle in. I would try to force a winner, instead of hitting it crosscourt.”

With all nerves settled by the Easton match on Friday, Shayaan Farhad and Appleman won their matches, 6-0, 6-0, and Roman Farhad won, 6-2, 6-0.

In doubles play, Elijah Quan and Hadi Ali won at one, 8-0, Gavin Evans Gartley and Sid Tekumalla won at two, 6-2, 6-2, Will Lotto and Jiaming Wang won at three, 6-0, 6-1, and Connor Ohl and Mahdi Ali won at four, 6-2, 6-3.

“Will and Jiaming are a tandem. They play off each others’ weaknesses really well,” said Coach Conrad.

Chris Gianaris, Ben Pfefer, Jacksen Jobes, and David Broczkowski will also see doubles time this year.

“We’re blessed with tremendous depth,” Conrad said. “It’s a different group, and we have to find different ways to win this year.”