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State tennis: Rough Day 1 for North Suncoast teams

 
Published April 15, 2014

The Class 2A state tournament didn't quite go as planned for the Nature Coast boys and Pasco girls.

The Sharks won only one of five opening-round singles matches and lost both doubles matches at the boys team tournament at Red Bug Lake Park in Casselberry on Monday. Alec Lund defeated Alexander Thompson of Gulf Breeze at No. 4 singles 1-6, 6-2, 10-8. In the semifinal, Lund lost to Laurentiu Schinteie of Miami Gulliver Prep 6-0, 6-0.

Jesse DeWitt, Connor Schwefringhaus and Dakota Willey each lost their Nos. 1-3 matches in straight sets. At No. 5 singles, Charles Buckner fell to Suncoast's Patrick Villanueva 3-6, 6-3, 10-7.

In No. 1 doubles, Dewitt and Schwefringhaus lost 6-0, 6-1 to Max Azzarelli and Palmer Evans of Jesuit. At No. 2 doubles, Jerry Bianculli and Nickolas Pais lost 6-0, 6-1 to Gulf Breeze.

"We had some matches go into three sets, so I thought we played pretty well,'' Nature Coast coach Tom Brown said. "But when you get to the state tournament you know the competition is going to be good. We are all underclassmen so I'm looking forward to next season.''

Facing a tough draw, Pasco couldn't advance any of its singles players out of the first round in its first state appearance. At No. 1 singles, Mady Johnson drew Holy Names junior Caroline Lozo, who is playing in her fifth state tournament, falling 6-0, 6-1.

Shelbie Timlake lost 6-0, 6-0 to the top seed at No. 2 singles, and Amanda Dee dropped a 6-0, 6-3 match to Holy Names' Olivia Rivas. Sara Slayton and Ashlynn Rainaldi both struggled in the other two singles matches.

The top doubles team of Johnson and Timlake lost in the first round, but Dee and Slayton won their match at No. 2 6-0, 6-2.

In the individual tournament at Sylvan Lake Park in Sanford, Gulf's Alex Walker had a bye into the quarterfinal. He lost to Dimitri Salzmann of Southwest Ranches Archbishop McCarthy 6-0, 6-0. He later paired with Aakash Panjabi for doubles, falling in straight sets.

In the girls individual tournament, Hernando's Grace Curren lost to Jordan Zander of Menendez 6-2, 6-3. Anclote's Sierra Yanez was also knocked out in the first round, 6-0, 6-0 by Emily Louie-Meadors of Gainesville Eastside. And Hudson's duo of Dominique Cirnigliaro and Marisa Maksymkow lost 6-0, 6-2.