Fox Chapel duo takes section doubles crown

By: Josh Rizzo
Saturday, April 19, 2025 | 11:01 AM

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Fox Chapel freshman Frank Siegel received the proper tutelage for playing effectively at the net. When Fred would go to the park and play with his older brother, Will, he didn’t expect him to take any heat off the ball.

“He would hit balls at me when I was at the net, and I would try to get them back,” Siegel said.

“That helped me out a lot getting that older brother coaching. I got a good feel for playing on the net.”

Siegel’s training, coupled with the hot play of senior Mason Friday, allowed Fox Chapel’s top doubles team to win the section title April 16 at Fox Chapel. Friday and Siegel were seeded first, and they beat the second-seeded Shady Side Academy team of Sai Chaudhry and Kiran Tevar, 6-4, 6-1, in the final.

Friday was the Foxes’ No. 1 singles player, and Siegel was at third singles.

As a result, they didn’t play together much before the doubles tournament.

“We both get to everything and are solid at the net,” Friday said. “We are solid as a team. This is our first year playing together. We played at the racquet club when we were younger but not much recently.”

Fox Chapel’s other doubles team of Henry Stallings and Charlie Larsen finished third after knocking off Shaler’s Liam Creagh and Roman Vizzoca, 6-1, 6-3. That means the Foxes were scheduled to have two doubles teams playing in the WPIAL Class 3A championships April 22 at Bethel Park.

Friday had good vibes going into this year’s tournament. He lost in the section doubles final last year and felt his performance was improving this season as the postseason approached.

“I’ve been serving the ball well recently,” Friday said. “I’ve been hitting my ground shots well, too.”

Friday and Siegel received a bye into the semifinals. The Foxes beat Shaler’s top team, 6-1, 6-3, to reach the championship match.

Siegel said they used their strong chemistry to play well in the final.

“I was most proud of our last match for sure,” Siegel said. “Mason and I support each other a lot. We are always saying good work and good job. It keeps us playing well. We have a lot of dedication and showed a lot of grit.”

Tags: Fox Chapel, Shady Side Academy