ATHENS — The area will be well-represented next weekend in Cincinnati as four tennis players punched their tickets to the state tournament, Wednesday.
Unioto’s Sylvia Gray, Adena’s Maddie Shipley, and Wheelersburg’s pair of Maddie Gill and Kaitlyn Sommer all advanced past district competition at Ohio University’s Tennis Center.
Gray, who moved to 28-0 on the year, beat both of her first two opponents by a 6-0, 6-0 final. Shipley, a freshman, won her first two matches 6-1, 6-0.
Those two wins alone, for each, were enough to advance. In the district championship match, Gray beat Shipley 6-1, 6-0 to claim the fourth district singles title of her career.
“I’m excited to have won my fourth district title today and am appreciative of all the support I’ve had along the way,” Gray said. “It’s an honor to play at the state tournament again, and I’m happy to have one of my best friends (Shipley) playing there as well this time. She deserves all of the credit she’s going to get these next few years.”
Meanwhile, Gill and Sommer won their first match 6-3, 6-1 before sealing advancing to state with a 6-2, 6-1 win in the district semifinals. The pair then edged out Athens’ Ami Brannan and Anna Chen by a 7-5, 6-4 final to claim their second consecutive district doubles title.
All four will now compete at the Lindner Family Tennis Center on Oct. 18, when the first and second round matches take place. If they advance into the state semifinal or championship matches, they’ll take place on Oct. 19.
For more information about the 2019 OHSAA Girls Tennis State Tournament, click here.