Senior Nikita Petruk lost in the first round of WPIALs boys tennis singles this week to Advaita Sircar of North Allegheny High School.

Sircar was a tough opponent for Petruk, beating him 10-0. Petruk sees room for improvement in his game going forward.

“I can improve a lot during summer – my whole game and just my consistency in the matches,” Petruk said.

Even with the loss, the experience was fun and smooth for Petruk.

“I had fun with the player. But the game was smooth, not trying to be too aggressive on the court,” Petruk said.

Athletic Director Anthony Cherico was impressed by how Petruk has played against opponents throughout this season.

“I feel like he really makes his opponent work for every point that they get. I feel like he’s very consistent,” Cherico said.

Cherico has also seen Petruk evolve into the leader on and off the court that he is today.

“I think he’s a very good leader,” Cherico said. “I think he treats every single teammate the exact same, which I think is awesome.”

This was Petruk’s second year in a row qualifying for WPIALs singles.

The team has WPIAL doubles qualifiers next week.