9/21/16
Dons slip past Panthers Aragon girls’ tennis player Sagrika Jawadi has developed quite the reputation for being involved in long matches, which, more often than not, require three sets to finish.
Two-hour plus tennis matches from Jawadi are not rare. But when the senior puts her mind to it, she can finish off opponents with the best of them.
Tuesday’s match between visiting Burlingame and Aragon was tied at 3-all and in typical Jawadi fashion, she went to a third set after splitting the first two with Burlingame freshman Maddie Wachhorst at No. 2 singles.
With the deciding point hanging in the balance, Jawadi needed only 10 minutes to clinch the match and the team win for the Dons, winning 6-7 (7-9), 6-2, 6-0 to give the Dons to 4-3 victory over the Panthers.
“I was just focused on the present,” Jawadi said of her third-set domination. “I just tried to get into a flow. As I gain more points, I’m able to be more confident.”
As it became evident that the No. 2 singles match would decide the winner, Aragon coach Dave Owdom said there was no player he’d rather have fighting for that winning point than Jawadi.
And Jawadi wasted little time in putting the pressure on Wachhorst, consistently moving to the net to finish off points, which goes against Jawadi’s nature.
“She’s a baseline player,” Owdom said. “She can play the net, but [Wachhorst] brought her up there.”
The No. 2 singles match became the decider only because Burlingame’s No. 1 player, Halle Martinucci, tied the team score at 3 points each after beating Diana Gong in straight sets, 7-6 (9-7), 6-1.
Martinucci was down set point to Gong in the opener, but she stayed alive, eventually winning in a tiebreaker.
That seemed to take Gong out of her game as Martinucci cruised to the victory with an easy second-set win.
Early on, it appeared Aragon (3-1 PAL Bay) was on its way to an easy victory. The Dons’ No. 2 doubles team of Keertana Namuduri and Marie Pachter dropped only one game in a 6-1, 6-0 win. Mavis Ibasco, at No. 4 singles for Aragon, gave her team its second team point with a 6-3, 6-2 victory, but Burlingame closed the gap to 2-1 when No. 3 singles player Sasha Benke rolled to a 6-2, 6-1 victory.
The Panthers tied the team match at 2 points apiece after the No. 1 doubles tandem of Gabby Alvira and Alyson Resnick won their match 6-2, 6-4, but Aragon retook the lead with a win in the No. 3 doubles match. The Dons’ team of Emma Clarke and Annie Martin struggled to win the first set 7-5, but found a rhythm in the second and cruised to a 6-2 set win to take the match.
That left only the top two singles matches on the court, with the Dons needing only a split to top the Panthers — which they accomplished.
“This is the first time we’ve beaten Burlingame in three years,” Owdom said. “I know we’re close (in the standings) with Burlingame and Carlmont. We’ll be battling for that last (PAL) playoff spot.”
Burlingame coach Bill Smith is just pleased to see his team competing well. After Burlingame (2-2) graduated nine of 10 starters from last season, Smith anticipated a much bumpier ride this season.
“With a young squad, I thought this would be a severe rebuild year,” Smith said. “On paper, I thought this match was a 5-2 type of thing. I can look at this match and say that there are some easy fixes to make it 4-3 the other way.”
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