Given the relative lack of returning girls tennis state qualifiers in both singles and doubles, several players considered the field wide-open in the Division I district tournament Tuesday at Upper Arlington.
The only doubles players with state experience, UA senior Alice Hawley and sophomore Alexa Roth, swept their matches to advance to state Oct. 17 and 18 at the College of Wooster.
And two of the three singles players who had been to state, Dublin Coffman senior Lauren Burkett and Olentangy Berlin sophomore Soleil Cordell, clinched return trips without dropping a set.
That left a handful of spots, and all of them were taken by newcomers to the season’s final weekend.
Dublin Scioto’s Amelia Kunard and Chillicothe’s Bella Flores, both seniors, also won by sweeps to make state in singles.
Remaining doubles qualifiers are Hilliard Davidson junior Madison Kline and sophomore Mackenzie Kline, New Albany senior Sophia Bojko and junior Reava Desai and UA senior Ava Kramer and junior Dani Ball. The Klines are sisters.
“So many (state qualifiers) from last year graduated, so if we had an opportunity to get to state, this was going to be the year,” Madison Kline said. “This is a dream to go to state. I’m glad we get to go together.”
The top four finishers in singles and doubles at district advance to state. Those players will be at Columbus Academy on Friday to compete in the district semifinals, with the finals to follow.
The Klines advanced with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Olentangy Liberty senior Sophia Mattis and junior Brooke Feldman.
Hawley and Roth swept Olentangy Orange’s Aaria Gala and Zoe Harr 6-3, 6-0 in a qualifying match.
Bojko and Desai outlasted Marion Harding seniors Audrey Feasel and Raina Smith 6-1, 6-4, and Ball and Kramer swept Watterson junior Francie Ciesinski and freshman Dory Scharfenberger 6-1, 6-2.
In singles qualifying matches, Kunard beat Gahanna Lincoln senior Daniela Guzman 6-1, 6-0; Cordell swept UA’s Kylie Husted 6-3, 6-0; Burkett beat Watkins Memorial sophomore Nora Grennan 6-1, 6-1 and Flores topped New Albany senior Airi Clements 7-6 (7-1), 6-1.
“It feels about the same (as previous years), but everybody here is a good player,” Burkett said. “I’ve been working on closing better, being able to finish points inside the court.”
Bexley’s Bowles leads Division II state qualifiers
In the Division II district tournament at Academy, Bexley junior and two-time defending singles state champion Amiya Bowles racked up two more 6-0, 6-0 wins Tuesday to secure another state berth.
Bowles defeated Buckeye Valley senior Molly Jones in the first round and Academy freshman Ella Tsao in the second, setting up a Friday semifinal against Columbus School for Girls sophomore Iva Karagirova.
Karagirova, a first-time state qualifier, advanced with wins over Lisbon Beaver Local’s Kara Wain (6-0, 6-1) and Academy’s Gabrielle Stewart (6-4, 6-2).
State doubles qualifiers are Academy senior Tamanna Arya and junior Sophie Wu and CSG juniors Victoria Dizon and Priya Mehta.
Arya and Wu swept Worthington Christian’s Avi Gullion (junior) and Brooke Stone (senior) 6-0, 6-2 to advance. Dizon and Mehta won by the same score against Academy senior Mary Panley and junior Lana Wood.
In Division II, only the district champion and runner-up make state.
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