Ananya Dua of SSA & Anne Taylor of Beaver Win WPIAL Singles Tennis Gold

By: HSSN Staff
Tuesday, September 22, 2015 | 9:57 PM

On the last day of summer, the WPIAL crowned their first fall champions. it was a repeat champion in Class AAA and a new champ in Class AA.

Ananya Dua a senior from Shady Side Academy, followed her WPIAL and PIAA championships of 2014 with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Anna Li of North Allegheny. Dua who had beaten Li in last years WPIAL Semifinals and last years PIAA Final, used a strong serve and hard accurate ground strokes to frustrate Li. In the first set Dua led 4-1 and was forcing Li into trying passing shots down the line which she kept missing. At 4-1 Lii came on strong finding her power game and cut it to 4-3. But Dua took over winning the final two games in set one to win 6-3, then the first 3 in set two to go up 3-0. But the rising junior Li again found her game and cut the lead to 3-2. They would trade games the rest of the way and Dua held on to win the second set 6-4. Dua a Cornell recruit will attempt to defend her PIAA title in the state finals in November. Li will join her as well in the state championship tournament.

In the AA finals, it was junior Anne Taylor from Beaver defeating Hannah Phillips from Carlynton 6-1, 7-6 (7-5) to win her first district title. Taylor easily won the first set. Her hard low ground shots forced Phillips to move a lot on the base line, and forced her into mistakes. Taylor had the confidence she needed going into the second set. It was much closer as each girl took the lead and gave it up in a set either could have won.Phillips came back to tie the set at 6-6, but Taylor who said “I was so nervous in the tie break” finally came through and won 7-5. They both move on to the PIAA championships.

In the consolation matches to determine the third participant to represent the WPIAL in the State playoffs in AAA Natalia Perry from Franklin Regional defeated Charlotte Madson from Upper St. Clair 6-0, 4-6, 6-3. Perry, who was injured and could not participate in 2014, made up for it with an impressive win. In set one she dominated. “It seemed I could do nothing wrong, everything went right for me” she said about her 6-0 first set breeze. The second set saw Madson come alive and change the out look of the match winning 6-4. But in the end Perry was just a bit stronger winning 6-3 as she just wore Madson out and taking third place.

In the AA consolation match, sisters Zoe and Farrah Bojalad of Quaker Valley went against each other. Both dressed in QV black and white and you could only tell them apart by their hair color. Zoe in brown, Farrah in blond. Their games however were different. Farrah used a soft touch emphasizing accuracy and soft shots where Zoe’s used a power game. The soft touch won out and Farrah walks  away a winner 6-4, 6-3 and will head to the state championships.

Tags: Beaver, Franklin Regional