Lehighton senior and fourth seed Bayto Cokrlija overcame some early nerves Tuesday at Lehigh University to advance to the semifinals of the District 11 Class 2A boys tennis championships.

“I think I played all right,” said Cokrlija, who was eliminated in the quarterfinals a year ago. “I thought the first round was going to be a light breeze, but as soon as the match started, I realized the player I was up against was a lefty. At first I wasn’t worried, but when he served, I realized it was a very odd serve and that made it difficult to return.”

What might have been even more satisfying than his own progress was watching his younger brother, Bekim, a ninth-seeded junior, pick up a win.

The brothers have been playing together for nearly 10 years, ever since their father, Sejo, introduced them to the sport at Bryfogle Park in Berlinsville.

“It has been great playing with my brother. Watching him progress is a great feeling,” Bayto said. “Whenever I get better at tennis, it always benefits him because we always practice together. So when I improve, he adapts to those changes, which helps elevate his game ... even though he had a tough second match, he was still really happy just to be here. I’m really proud of him.”

Bayto advanced to the semifinals for the first time with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Bethlehem Catholic’s Liam Maloney, followed by a 6-0, 6-2 victory over Saucon Valley fifth seed Louis Flowers.

Bekim also impressed, defeating eighth-seeded Gavin Yost of Palisades 6-1, 6-1 in the opening round before falling to top-seeded Deven Pandey of Saucon Valley 6-2, 6-3.

Lehighton senior Isaac Carpenter also competed, falling in three sets to Flowers in his opener, 6-1, 5-7, 6-3.

Bekim said he values the time he shares with his older brother on the court.

“It’s great to have a brother to play with all the time,” Bekim said. “It’s fun being with him and watching him play. Watching him beat players today that gave him a challenge was nerve-wracking but exciting.

“I want him to win, and it’s hard to watch when the game is close. Having a brother so close to me is one of the biggest parts of my success.”

Despite the win, Bekim felt he could have performed better.

“I felt like I played my best with my serve, but my forehand prohibited me from playing to my full potential,” he said. “I got through the first match with ease, but I knew (Pandey) was going to be a challenge. I knew I had a low chance of winning, but I exceeded my expectations and played better than I thought I would.

“It was fun and a great experience.”

Bayto will face Pandey in Thursday’s semifinal and is confident heading into the matchup.

“My serve felt great today,” Bayto said. “I was able to hit my flat serve more consistently than I have recently, and that really helped me win a lot of games. It feels great to be in the semifinals for the first time. I have a lot of confidence going into the match against Deven (Pandey). He’s a very tough opponent, but I hope I play well and give it my best.”

Lehighton head coach Cody Schuler was proud of his trio’s performance.

“Bayto struggled a bit in his first match, but once he figured out how to return his opponent’s serve, he was good to go,” Schuler said. “Isaac Carpenter played three sets against Louis Flowers, and that may have helped Bayto later. Bayto was on — he’s a very meticulous player, always looking for and playing the best shot for the situation.

“While Bekim lost to Pandey, he played awesome. He knew when to take chances, and it paid off. It was a blast watching these two quality players battle it out. (Pandey) said he hadn’t lost that many games all season, so even though it was a loss, it’s something Bekim should be very proud of. They had some great points.

“Isaac powered through the second set and won 7-5. His serve was on, and he played great. Both players took a 10-minute break to catch their breath before the third set. Louis ended up winning it 6-3. It was a two-hour match of good tennis all around.

“All three of them had a great day.”

UP NEXT ... The 2A and 3A semifinals and finals will take place on Thursday at Lehigh University beginning at 12 p.m. The finals will not begin before 1:30 p.m.