With one returning state qualifier in the field, competitors at Thursday’s Division I district boys tennis tournament couldn’t be blamed for feeling like it was their time to capitalize.
That one qualifier, New Albany junior Jackson Clements, cruised to his second consecutive state berth with 6-0, 6-2 wins over Watkins Memorial senior Liam Grennan and freshman Owen Hawley from host Upper Arlington.
Clements will be joined next Thursday and Friday at the College of Wooster by junior teammate Abhinav Dandu, Olentangy Liberty sophomore Shane Hand and Dublin Coffman junior Nik Shough, all of whom will make their state debuts.
“All year, I’m not sure I’ve been playing my best, but I’ve worked really well and I’m back to the level I was last year,” said Clements, who sprained his right ankle at last weekend’s sectional tournament. “I just need to get as consistent as I was a year ago, then I should be good to go.”
The top four singles players and doubles teams qualified for state.
Dandu qualified with a 6-0, 6-0 shutout of Dublin Jerome freshman Rudy Anumula.
Shough swept Marysville junior Gianni Russo 6-2, 6-2 and Hand advanced with a 3-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 win over Olentangy Orange senior Zach Haar. It was their second meeting in less than 24 hours, after Hand swept Haar 6-3, 6-4 in the Ohio Tennis Coaches Association Division I district team final.
“That’s hard to deal with because they understand your game and can figure things out,” Hand said. “Especially being the one to win (Wednesday), it’s hard to do it back-to-back.”
Hand will play Clements in a district semifinal Saturday at UA. Dandu will face Shough.
The championship and third-place matches are later in the day, although weather concerns might force a move to Olympic Indoor Tennis.
The doubles semifinals include New Albany senior Ben Bilenko, a four-time state qualifier, and sophomore Tyler Thomas against Olentangy senior Sujan Sriram and sophomore Gavin Cheung. UA junior Jackson Lloyd and sophomore Keshav Goyal face senior Krish Badri and sophomore Arya Badri from Liberty.
Bilenko and Thomas beat senior Alexander Lisiecki and sophomore Sebastian Lisiecki from Marion Harding 6-1, 6-1 to advance. Goyal and Lloyd beat junior Gabe Arbona and senior Brandon Heil from DeSales 6-2, 6-0.
Cheung and Sriram, a two-time state qualifier, swept Dublin Jerome’s Geeth Dondepudi and Akash Ravipati 6-3, 6-2 in a qualifying match. The Badris beat Orange sophomore Devan Patel and freshman Luke Rutherford 6-1, 6-2.
Columbus Academy, Bexley dominate Division II
Bexley and host Academy scooped up every state berth from the Division II district tournament, from which the champion and runner-up advance in singles and doubles.
Academy sophomore Nason Lo won two matches by 6-0, 6-0 scores, including the semifinal against Bexley junior Max Almasanu, and will face Bexley freshman Henry Lessard for the championship. Lessard qualified with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Wellington senior Sanjan Shanker.
Shanker was seeking his second consecutive state berth and third in four years.
Academy juniors Rowen Lo and Lucas Xue won two 6-0, 6-1 matches Thursday, defeating Bexley senior Emmett Pliskin and sophomore Adrian Schiff in the state qualifier.
Bexley junior Sam Lessard and senior Oscar Ramsden advanced with a 6-0, 6-0 shutout of Academy junior Jacob Khvalsky and sophomore Ian Chang.
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