Great Neck North's Melvin Thu wins second straight Nassau boys badminton championship

Melvin Thu has always had the talent, but his experience and mentality have been the difference the past two years.

Despite trailing early in the first set of the Nassau County boys individual badminton championship match, Thu stayed confident and continued his dominance in a 21-19, 21-5 win over Jericho’s Howard Zheng at Plainview-Old Bethpage Middle School on Saturday.

It’s the second straight singles title for the top-seeded Great Neck North senior, who has made four consecutive trips to the final round, where he lost as a freshman and sophomore.

“He’s one of the most talented players I’ve ever coached by far,” coach John Zak said. “But it’s a mental game, too. You could see that when he got down in the first set, he didn’t show any frustration. He has so much confidence and a great mentality.”

Thu trailed 11-8, but after an intermission, he quickly found his groove and took a 19-14 lead. Zheng, the second-seed made a late push to come within one point, but Thu kept his composure and closed out the crucial first set.

“Losing two years in a row taught me how to bounce back after defeat,” Thu said. “Not just in badminton, but in life.”

Thu was in control of the second set from the start, but he kept his focus and intensity until the final point.

“Even though I was winning by a large margin in the second set, I never felt like I could relax because Howard is a great player and pushed me in the first set,” Thu said.

The doubles tournament also crowned a repeat champion, as the top-seeded Jericho tandem of Jonathan Chau and Jerry Zhang defeated their teammates, Caleb Kao and William Wang, 21-12, 21-11 to claim their second straight title.

Kao and Wang entered the tournament as the tenth seed and made an impressive run to the final, but ultimately fell short against their mentors.

“It’s sad that we had to face each other at the end, but it’s amazing because they’ve come so far,” Zhang said.

“It’s all in good spirit,” Chau added. “We were competing for the title, but it was just like playing them in practice and we all had fun.”

Zhang, a lefty, and Chau, a righty, have been unbeatable all year. They entered the tournament with no set losses this season but dropped one set in the semifinals to the Syosset duo of Ethan Alex and John Song.

“They cover the court very well, it’s like they’re gliding,” first-year Jericho coach Anthony LaRosa said. “Sometimes, you see them pick some things up and you’re like, ‘How did they get there?’”

After back-to-back titles, the juniors might not have a chance to win a third doubles title next year, as they will likely become singles players as seniors.

“It’s been amazing to win twice in a row and build up this connection with Jerry,” Chau said. “We’ve become a lot closer as friends and we’re going to cherish all the good memories we’ve had as a team.”

With Dean Zulkofske