Wyoming Seminary’s Ilana Rosenthal gets set to hit a return to Riverside’s Karissa Ghigiarelli during the District 2 girls tennis singles championship at Kirby Park on Wednesday.
Joe Soprano | Times Leader
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Wyoming Seminary’s Ella Krypel gets set to hit a return to Riverside’s Karissa Ghigiarelli during the District 2 girls tennis singles championship at Kirby Park on Wednesday.
Joe Soprano | Times Leader
Wyoming Seminary’s Ella Krypel gets set to hit a return to Riverside’s Karissa Ghigiarelli during the District 2 girls tennis singles semifinals at Kirby Park on Wednesday.
Joe Soprano | Times Leader
Riverside’s Karissa Ghigiarelli hits a return during the District 2 girls tennis singles championship at Kirby Park on Wednesday.
Joe Soprano | Times Leader
Riverside’s Karissa Ghigiarelli hits a return during the District 2 girls tennis singles championship at Kirby Park on Wednesday.
Joe Soprano | Times Leader
Wyoming Seminary’s Ilana Rosenthal gets set to hit a return to Riverside’s Karissa Ghigiarelli during the District 2 girls tennis singles championship at Kirby Park on Wednesday.
Joe Soprano | Times Leader
Wyoming Seminary’s Ilana Rosenthal gets set to hit a return to Riverside’s Karissa Ghigiarelli during the District 2 girls tennis singles championship at Kirby Park on Wednesday.
Joe Soprano | Times Leader
WILKES-BARRE — Riverside’s Karissa Ghigiarelli won her fourth straight District 2 Class 2A girls singles tennis championship on Wednesday, but not before being tested by a Wyoming Seminary freshman.
Ilana Rosenthal took the first game of the match from Ghigiarelli, only the second time she dropped a game in the tournament, before falling 6-3, 6-1 at the Kirby Park tennis courts.
With a District 2 second-place medal draped around her neck, Rosenthal seemed pleased with her performance.
“I had faith,” she said when asked if she expected to do so well as just a freshman. “But I didn’t think I would come this far.
“Karissa is an amazing player. It was a lot of fun playing with her.”
Rosenthal went undefeated in the WVC without losing a game in conference play, and she advanced to the district final in the same manner, defeating Scranton Prep freshman Alyssa Wigley, 6-0, 6-0, in a match earlier Wednesday.
Ghigiarelli defeated Rosenthal’s teammate Ella Krypel 6-0, 6-0 in the semifinals.
Rosenthal started the season as the Blue Knights’ No. 2 singles player but later moved into the No. 1 spot.
“She had a pretty talented resume coming in,” Wyoming Seminary coach Raphael Cooper said, “winning a Little Mo’s tournament, which is a pretty big national tournament.
“So we knew that she was going to be dynamite.”
And dynamite she was for long stretches on Wednesday.
She exchanged several long volleys against Ghigiarelli and clearly had the the defending state champion frustrated at times.
“We are looking at a girl who is a freshman versus a senior, so just this in itself is great,” Cooper said. “And to grab some games against a state champion…”
Rosenthal pushed Ghigiarelli harder than she has ever been pushed in the district singles tournament. Ghigiarelli had never lost more than one game in a set in a District 2 tournament career that included 20 matches and 40 sets.
“I personally think she lived up to all expectations. I think exceeding them,” Cooper said of his promising freshman. “I couldn’t be more proud of here.”
Cooper was also quick to compliment Ghigiarelli.
“She’s had a great career. We hope we can do something similar with Ilana, but for now she’s the queen, and she deserves it. Props to her as well,” he said.
Ghigiarelli advances to the state tournament Nov. 5 and 6 in Hershey. Rosenthal has the district doubles championships to look forward to which begin this weekend.
CLASS 3A
In the 3A competition, Abington Heights’ Bella Peters took home the championship, defeating teammate Rina Hanumali 6-0, 6-0.
She advanced to the finals with a 6-1, 6-0 victory over West Scranton’s Gabrielle Chantiloupe. Hanumali advanced to the finals with a 6-0, 7-6 (3) victory over Wallenpaupack’s Erika Badner.
