BETHLEHEM - Bayto and Bekim Cokrilja can still remember their earliest days playing tennis together.

“It was probably really sloppy tennis,” Bayto said with a laugh.

It’s anything but for the brothers now.

An unbreakable bond and unquestionable ability has helped the duo turn those early experiences into a distant memory.

Bayto – a sophomore – and Bekim – a freshman – came together on Thursday to reach the quarterfinals of the District 11 Class 2A doubles tournament at Lehigh University.

Though their run ended there, the duo might just be getting started.

“Not when I was young, but knowing we were going to be on the same team, this was an opportunity I was really looking forward to,” Bekim said of playing with his brother.

The pair overcame a loss in the first set to top Moravian Academy’s Hunter Zicherman and Harry Vicic, the No. 7 seed, 1-6, 6-2, 6-3 in the first round.

It was momentum that carried over into a quarterfinal match against No. 2 seed Michael Zeller and Tim Spinosa of Allentown Central Catholic, where Bayto and Bekim took the first set before Zeller and Spinosa stormed back to win the match 3-6, 6-0, 6-0.

The loss didn’t dampen the enthusiasm for the pair.

“For me, I would say it was really fun,” said Bayto. “Just having the crowd here, and having them cheer us on after each shot. It really helped my confidence. It was the greatest thing ever. And just having my friends from Palmerton and Blue Mountain all watching us and encouraging us felt great.

“And coming back against Moravian, I was so pumped up for this game (against Central Catholic). And you could see that with how well we played in the first set.”

In addition to Bayto and Bekim Cokrilja, Palmerton’s Justin Sebelin and Riley Fallon also qualified for the 2A tournament. Sebelin and Fallon fell to Zeller and Spinosa 6-0, 6-3 in the first round.

Brotherly love

Bayto and Bekim Cokrilja, who were unseeded and played together just once in a doubles match this season, found their form in the second set against Zicherman and Vicic.

“We don’t have much experience playing doubles together, and we didn’t get much practice, but we really played well against Moravian,” said Bekim.

“I thought I was playing really well at the net, and they had a hard time getting some of those shots back,” added Bayto. “He (Bekim) does well with lobs, and was really hitting some great shots. But we just have to work on being consistent with returns.”

The energy of the first round win helped the pair control play in the first set against Zeller and Spinosa.

“We really frustrated them,” said Bayto. “I was really hitting my forehand nicely, hitting it with all my strength and jumping into it. It was great.”

The pair, who also qualified for the singles tournament earlier this week, will now look forward to the team tournament. The Indians, who finished the regular season with a 9-3 record, qualified as the fourth seed and will host No. 5 Salisbury on Monday at 3 p.m.

“I think we can do fairly well,” said Bayto, who was seeded sixth for the singles tournament and was the Tribe’s No. 1 singles player this season. “If we play how we did today in team districts, I think we can have a good chance of winning the match.

“And I think we can do great in doubles next year. This is our first time in districts, really, and I think we played great.”

Coming together

Like Bayto and Bekim, Sebelin and Fallon aren’t traditional doubles players. But the duo proved to have great chemistry to match their equally impressive abilities.

“It’s been neat,” said Sebelin. “It was my first time ever playing an official doubles match, so it was definitely different. But it was neat, especially playing with Riley. It was really fun to get to play with him.”

Fallon and Sebelin, who advanced to the quarterfinals of the singles tournament as the No. 8 seed, have worked to maximize their time together to prepare for the doubles tournament.

“I was working with him, playing against our teammates, and it’s cool to have that experience,” said Fallon. “Just to have that the communication in general, which is the first step, and then rest is the skill that goes into it.

“He’s better at the net than I am, and then running the line is what I try to specialize in here. But we’re both good enough to work either position.”

The pair showcased their dynamic abilities throughout the match against Zeller and Spinosa.

“We definitely build of each other’s energy,” said Sebelin. “We’re pretty similar play styles, so it’s neat playing with someone like that.”

Spinosa and Zeller used their experience to take Sebelin and Fallon out of rhythm early.

“The lobs and net play, anytime you made a mistake hitting it too short, they slammed it right at you,” said Sebelin. “They made you pay if you made a mistake. The power we definitely weren’t used to. But we really competed. We were happy with how we played.

“We kind of warmed up to the match,” added Fallon, who will play tennis at Penn State Harrisburg. “You could tell that once we started to get our groove that we started to get back into the match. We were close a few times in the first set, but in the second set we made sure we were finishing points. But we just had fun. It was a great experience.”

LOOKING AHEAD

... Palmerton also qualified for the District 11 Class 2A team tournament. The Blue Bombers, who ended the regular season at 6-6, are the eighth seed and will travel to No. 1 seed Moravian Academy on Monday at 3 p.m.

MARATHON MAN

... In addition to his first round match at Monday’s singles tournament – which went to a decisive tiebreaker – all three of Bayto Cokrilja’s matches at the district tournament went three sets.