Prep tennis: Clovis West’s Ellis leads TRAC charge into section singles semifinals
The Tri-River Athletic Conference will make up three-quarters of the singles semifinals, led by Clovis West’s top-seeded Janie Ellis, when the Central Section Individual Girls Tennis Championships resume Saturday at Visalia’s Redwood High.
Ellis reached the semifinals, scheduled to start at 2 p.m.., with a 6-3, 6-1 win Friday over Bakersfield Christian’s eighth-seeded Delaney Roche. She will face a TRAC rival in Clovis North’s fourth-seeded Elizabeth Schulz, who knocked off No. 5 Anastasia Drulias of Garces 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 in the quarters.
The other semifinal pits No. 2 Sravya Gudipudi of TRAC school Buchanan against defending champion and sixth-seeded Chelsey Ruiz of Bullard.
Gudipudi beat No. 7 Madison Swaney of Frontier 7-5, 6-0, while Ruiz rallied to upset No. 3 Arianna Tilbury of Stockdale 1-6, 6-4, 6-4. Ruiz was the seventh seed last season but won the section title with a 6-1, 1-6, 6-4 defeat of Memorial’s No. 10 Vivian Wen.
Ellis opened with a 6-1, 6-0 win over No. 16 Winter Lee of Sanger. Gudipudi’s run started with a 6-1, 6-1 defeat of El Diamante’s No. 15 Anindita Rajasekaran, Schulz dropped Clovis’ No. 13 Kelly Crouch 6-0, 6-1 and Ruiz beat Independence’s No. 11 Paige Darstein 6-1, 6-4 in her opener.
In doubles, Buchanan’s No. 1 Lasya Gudipudi/Lauren Lee won twice, including a 6-1, 6-0 quarterfinal victory over Stephanie Acevedo/Serena Contreras of Wasco. The Bears pair will face No. 5 Abby Broughton/Natty Villarreal after the Clovis East duo dispatched Bakersfield Christian’s Annabella McGilvary/Abby Stevens 6-4, 6-3.
Two other top-seeded teams fell in the quarters, setting up a semifinal matchup of upsetters – both from Stockdale.
Sixth-seeded Emily Horrigan/Erica Paradise of the Mustangs downed Clovis West’s No. 3 Kylie Campama/Shelby Noble 6-1, 6-3. Stockdale’s Dipika Khullar/Mia Sawaya, seeded 10th, endured a marathon before toppling No. 2 Neha Pondicherry/Lily Reddivalam of Clovis North 5-7, 6-4, 7-5.
Nick Giannandrea: 559-441-6103, @NickG_FB
Central Section Individual Tennis Championships
At Redwood High
First round
SINGLES
First round
No. 1 Janie Ellis, Clovis West, d. No. 16 Winter Lee, Sanger, 6-1, 6-0; No. 8 Delaney Roche, Bakersfield Christian, d. No. 9 Claire Yang, Redwood, 1-6, 6-2, 6-4; No. 5 Anastasia Drulias, Garces, d. No. 12 Nandini Nair, Clovis North, 6-0, 6-2; No. 4 Elizabeth Schulz, Clovis North, d. No. 13 Kelly Crouch, Clovis, 6-1, 6-0; No.3 Arianna Tilbury, Stockdale, d. No. 14 Simran Sarai, Ridgeview, 6-0, 6-0; No. 6 Chelsey Ruiz, Bullard, d. No. 11 Paige Darstein, Independence, 6-1, 6-4; No. 7 Madison Swaney, by default, over No. 10 Marah Caubat, Delano; No. 2 Sravya Gudipudi, Buchanan d. No. 15 Anindita Rajasekaran, El Diamante, 6-1, 6-1
Quarterfinals
Ellis. d. Roche 6-3, 6-1; Schulz d. Drulias 4-6, 6-3, 6-1; Ruiz d. Tilbury 1-6, 6-4, 6-4; Gudipudi d. Swaney 7-5, 6-0
Saturday’s semifinals
Ellis vs. Schulz; Gudipudi vs. Ruiz
DOUBLES
First round
No. 1 Lasya Gudipudi/Lauren Lee, Buchanan, d. No. 16 Breegan Anderson/Alyssa Regier, Immanuel, 6-0, 6-0; No. 9 Arianna Acevedo/Serena Contreras, Wasco, d. No. 8 Gabby Gutierrez/Ashley Woolman, Clovis, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3; No. 5 Abby Broughton/Natty Villarreal, Clovis East, d. No. 12 Maddie Giannetto/Maddie McDonald, Monache, 6-2, 6-1; No. 13 Annabella McGilvary/Abby Stevens, Bakersfield Christian, d. No. 4 Zoe Vargas/Kate Swertfager, Bullard, 6-4, 6-0; No. 3 Kylie Campama/Shelby Noble, Clovis West, d. No. 14 Kristina Raulino/Angelika Loewen, Lemoore, 3-6, 6-1, 7-5; No. 6 Emily Horrigan/Erica Paradise, Stockdale, d. No. 11 Madeline Kuney/Margo Kuney, Bakersfield, 6-0, 6-2; No. 10 Dipika Khullar/Mia Sawaya, Stockdale, d. No. 7 Jordan Pickett/Nikki Purewal, Clovis North, 6-4, 6-3; No. 2 Neha Pondicherry/Lily Reddivalam, Clovis North, d. No. 15 Kerris Lassley/Alyssa Byde, Sanger, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2
Quarterfinals
Gudipudi/Lee d. Acedo/Contreras 6-1, 6-0; Broughton/Villarreal d. McGilvery/Stevens 6-4, 6-3; Horrigan/Paradise d. Campama/Noble 6-1, 6-3; Khullar/Sawaya d. Pondicherry/Reddivalem 5-7, 6-4, 7-5
Saturday’s semifinals
Gudipudi/Lee vs. Broughton/Villarreal; Horrigan/Paradise vs Khullar/Sawaya
This story was originally published November 6, 2015 at 6:23 PM with the headline "Prep tennis: Clovis West’s Ellis leads TRAC charge into section singles semifinals."