North Penn junior Esha Velaga captured the District One 3A tennis title. (Photo provided)
Advancing to the PIAA Tournament are Kylie Kochis (West Chester Henderson HS - 3rd place), Grace Li (Unionville HS - 2nd place), Dasha Chichkina (Council Rock South HS - 4th place), Esha Velaga (North Penn HS - 1st place).
Esha Velaga lived up to her billing.
Seeded first entering the District One 3A Singles Tournament, the North Penn junior rolled through the tournament without losing a set to win the crown.
After an opening round bye, Velaga notched a 6-3, 6-0 win over Central Bucks South’s Grace Piro in a second-round match. In the quarterfinals, eighth seeded Allison Root, a sophomore at Owen J Roberts, was Velaga’s next victim as she notched a 6-2, 6-3 win. In the semifinals, Velaga cruised to a 6-0, 6-2 win over West Chester Henderson’s Kylie Kochis, the tournament’s fourth seed. That win set up a title match with Unionville’s Grace Li, the tournament’s second seed, and once again Velaga was in command, notching a 6-2, 6-2 win to earn to district title.
Council Rock South’s Dasha Chichkina entered the tournament as the sixth seed but knocked out third-seeded Mia Matriccino – last year’s district runner-up - in a tightly contested quarterfinal match, 5-7, 6-4, 6-3. Chichkina finished fourth overall, falling to Spring-Ford’s Kylie Kochis 6-1, 6-4 in the third-place match. Earlier in the tournament, Chichkina earned an opening round win over Radnor’s Leina Ciarrochi (6-1, 6-2) and then defeated Methacton’s Hana Nouaime (6-1, 6-2) in the second round.
Both Velaga and Chichkina will advance to the PIAA 3A State Singles Tournament.
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