Monday's District 10 Class 2A boys tennis final will pit tournament's last two champions

Matches between Cathedral Prep teammates have become common in recent District 10 boys tennis tournaments.

Matches between past champions, though, aren’t.

That’s the reason for any intrigue going into the first of Monday’s two finals at Westwood Racquet Club. The Ramblers’ Gavin Ferretti and Jonah Ng, the district’s last two Class 2A singles titlists, will meet at 3 p.m.

“I’m pretty excited about this,” Ferretti said. “I’ve never played Jonah in (a competitive match) before. Obviously, he’s very good so it should be fun.”

Monday’s Class 3A final is now set for 4 p.m. at Westwood, which hosted Saturday’s early rounds in each bracket. John Sinnott can be Erie High’s first male tennis player to win a district singles tournament if he defeats McDowell’s Gridley Wright.

Tournament director Kelly Maslar rescheduled their final for an hour later because each player has advanced placement tests earlier that afternoon.

Title match tiebreaker

Ferretti was seeded second even though he’s the district’s 2A defending champ.

If the snub bothered the sophomore, it didn’t show in his match results. He blanked Warren’s Adam Strandburg and Greenville’s Alex Harcourt in 8-0 pro sets and then swept Hickory’s Jacob Jarzab, the tournament’s fourth seed, 6-1, 6-0 in the semifinals.

Ferretti said he’s a smarter player than this time last year, when he beat Warren graduate Logan Fincher in district’s small-school title match.

“I’m trying to keep the ball in play more – maybe not hit shots as hard – and maybe picking (situations) when to serve harder,” Ferretti said.

Ng’s absence from the district’s 2023 2A singles tournament was a significant reason Ferretti is the reigning champ. The 2022 victor voluntarily skipped defense in singles play to focus on postseason doubles with Prep graduate Hayden Hutchinson.

The duo won districts and advanced to the PIAA quarterfinals, where they lost to Freddie Bloom and Michael Goergelis.

The Lancaster Country Day students were the eventual gold medalists.

Ng was a freshman when he reached the championship semis for the 2022 PIAA 2A singles tournament. He finished fourth overall.

Ng shut out his three opponents Saturday. His last result was a 6-0, 6-0 sweep of Colin Troutman, Prep’s third entry in Saturday’s original field.

Despite such present and past results, Ng opted to laud his teammates after Saturday’s action.

“Colin really shocked everyone when he made the semis,” he said, “and Gavin (won in the) semis. I think we’re all really focused on the district’s (team tournament) and trying to win states. That’s our real goal.”

More: Results for District 10 spring sports, April 29 – May 4

Underhanded tactic

Sinnott wouldn’t be the first Erie High’s first district champ in boys tennis. Matthew Prenovitz and Henry Polaski, who were 2021 graduates, won that year’s 3A doubles tournament.

However, Sinnott would be the first Royal to get a district gold medal minus a partner if he beats Wright on Monday.

The Northwest Pennsylvania Collegiate Academy junior, whose uncle is former Erie mayor Joe Sinnott, also would be the first singles champ for an Erie public school tennis program since Anthony Villella (2A) represented the former Strong Vincent Colonels in 2017. The City of Erie School District consolidated its high schools later that year.

Sinnott would be glad to join Prenovitz and Polaski and Erie High tennis trailblazers.

“I know we’ve had some guys fall short in the past,” he said, “and I fell short in the (3A) doubles final last year. It would be nice to come back here (Monday) and get this (title) for the team.”

Monday’s match offers Wright the opportunity to defeat each of Erie High’s three starters. He eliminated the Royals’ Joe Salamon 8-1 in quarterfinals and Joel Lee 6-2, 6-1 in the semis.

Lee recorded Saturday’s biggest upset when he defeated McDowell’s Noah Hardesty, the 3A tournament’s second seed, 8-2 in the quarters.

An animated Wright, though, avenged that result. The second-year Trojan was a bundle of motion both during and in between points throughout Saturday.

Wright even resorted to occasionally surprising Lee with underhand serves.

“I started (doing that) a bit more this season,” Wright said. “I’ll throw it in there once or twice a set to keep (opponents) on their toes. It’s been 50/50, but I did win the last point I used it (against Lee) and that’s what matters.”

Mike has worked for the Erie Times-News editorial department since 1997 and full time with its sports department since 2004. He was the sports editor for the former Titusville Herald from 1991-93.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Monday's District 10 Class 2A boys tennis final will pit tournament's last two champions