COLUMBUS, Ohio — Central Ohio’s top high school tennis players punched their tickets to the OHSAA state tournament Wednesday, with district doubles play producing both hard-fought finals and dominant sweeps.
In Division I action, Olentangy Orange seniors Aaria Gala and Zoe Haar outlasted Upper Arlington junior Cara Tomeo and freshman Mia Ganvini 6-2, 4-6, 6-3. Upper Arlington’s other duo, senior Nancy Li and sophomore Zoe Lloyd, swept Dublin Jerome junior Nainika Sahai and freshman Sofia Rivera-Alvarez 6-1, 6-2.
Division II play at Columbus Academy set up an all-local singles final. Columbus School for Girls senior Iva Karagirova moved within a win of a district championship repeat, topping Wellington’s Paige Thompson 6-3, 6-1. She will face Academy junior Ella Tsao in the Oct. 10 final at Upper Arlington after Tsao dispatched Wellington’s Dea Singh 6-0, 6-0. Only the district champion and runner-up advance to state in Division II.
The Division II doubles final will be an all-central-Ohio affair as well. Worthington Christian seniors Evie Bourgeois and Tori Bourgeois stayed unbeaten at 19-0 on the season with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Academy’s Zephyr Harrison and Mata Joyner. They meet CSG senior Emme Dizon and sophomore Hannah Goldbergh, who edged Academy’s Simran Bhalla and Iris Sun 6-3, 7-6 (7-5).
The OHSAA girls state tennis tournament follows district finals later this month.