South Windsor High Girls Tennis Defeats Newington 4-3

The South Windsor High girls tennis team figured it would have a tough season ahead of it, what with five players from last year’s squad - including all four singles starters - having graduated.

But the revamped team has started the season with a respectable 2-2 record, including a thrilling 4-3 victory over previously undefeated Newington on the road on Thursday afternoon.

The contest came down to the final match - No. 2 doubles - which the Bobcats team of Rachel Wolf and Marta Holovatska defeated Newington’s Lauren Planes and Natalia Rozio in three sets 7-6, 6-7, 7-5.

“They played very well,” South Windsor head coach Janet Belval said in a telephone interview. “It shows what we can do; it was an exciting win.”

Indeed, South Windsor won despite the No. 1 doubles team of Sabrina Skenyon and Steph Boisvert losing to the Indians’ Ally Gaglione and Wiki Bis 3-6 7-6 7-5.

Still, despite the individual loss, Belval is excited about the juniors playing together this year, as they combined to reach the state tournament in 2012.

South Windsor split its singles matches against Newington, with freshman No. 3 Reeya Khurana and junior No. 4 Alex Jones scoring victories over Gaby Capossela and Mrunmaya Kulkarni, respectively.

South Windsor’s No. 3 doubles team of Aaska Patel and Rehanna Addonna defeated Ada Golowiejko and Victoria Usmanova 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.

Newington, under new head coach Joel Ziff, has shown that it is a program on the rise having started the season with a 3-1 record.

Stellar No. 1 singles player Riya Abraham dispatched South Windsor’s Tiffany Romano 6-2, 6-1, while No. 2 singles Monica Owczarska won in straight sets over Katie Roberts 7-5, 6-3.

#1 singles Riya Abraham (N) def Tiffany Romano 6-2 6-1
#2 singles Monica Owczarska (N) def Katie Roberts 7-5 6-3
#3 singles Reeya Khurana (SW) def Gaby Capossela 6-3 6-1
#4 singles Alex Jones (SW) def Mrunmayi Kulkarni  6-2 6-2

#1 doubles Ally Gaglione and Wiktoria Bis (N) def Sabrina Skenyon and Steph Boisvert 3-6 7-6 7-5

#2 doubles Rachel Wolf and Marta Holovatska (SW) def  Natalia Rozio and Lauren Planas 7-6 6-7 7-5

#3 doubles Aaska Patel and Rehanna Addonna (SW) def Ada Golowiejko and Victoria Usmanova  6-3 4-6 6-3