Spring-Ford’s Pascual joins top 4 seeds in District 1 Singles quarters
Spring-Ford senior Patrick Pascual is a win away from reaching his career-long goal of playing in the PIAA Championships.
To do that a tall order awaits: a quarterfinal match with No. 1 seed and reigining PIAA finalist Michael Dickson of Downingtown East.
Pascual, the three-time Pioneer Athletic Conference champion and No. 8 seed, joined six of the top eight seeds in reaching the quarterfinals at the District 1 Singles Championships at Legacy in Philadelphia.
Pascual downed Central Bucks West’s Brad Johnson in the first round, 6-4, 6-1, before rallying past Upper Darby’s Brandon Caban, 1-6, 6-2, 6-2, in the second round.
The top four seeds – Dickson, No. 2 Matt Chen of Lower Merion, No. 3 Cole Groetsch of Central Bucks South and No. 4 Xandy Hammitt of Strath Haven – reached the round of 8 without dropping a set. The top three had first-round byes.
Other quarterfinalists are: Unionville’s Tristan Bradley, who ousted No. 5 seed Will Frigerio of Radnor in the first round before downing Conestoga’s Nick Ruth, 6-2, 7-6 (5); No. 6 seed Andrew Tran of Wissahickon and Council Rock North’s Alex Whalen.
The top four qualify for the PIAA Championships, set for Friday, May 22, at Hershey Racquet Club.
In Class AA, top seed Holy Ghost Prep’s Brandon Fritze eased into the semifinals by dropping just two games in two matches.
District 1 Singles
Class AAA
First round
Michael Dickson (1), Downingtown East, bye; Blake Illes, Pennsbury, def. Sam Kesti, Great Valley, 6-1, 6-2; Brandon Caban, Upper Darby, def. Blake Baxter, Henderson, 6-1, 6-3; Patrick Pascual (8), Spring-Ford, def. Brad Johnson, Central Bucks West, 6-4, 6-1; Tristan Bradley, Unionville, def. Will Frigerio (5), Radnor, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3; Nick Ruth, Conestoga, def. Trent Harner, Kennett Square, 6-0, 6-2; Josh Victor, Cheltenham, def. Riley Dunn, Rustin, 6-2, 6-2; Xandy Hammitt (4), Strath Haven, def. Frank Yanni, North Penn, 7-6 (5), 6-4.
Cole Groetsch (3), Central Bucks South, bye; Bryan Szyna, Upper Dublin, def. Nick Simeone, Methacton, 6-0, 6-1; Josh Taylor, Radnor, def. Matt Crawford, Henderson, 6-1, 6-4; Andrew Tran (6), Wissahickon, def. Duwaine Jenkins, Academy Park, 6-0, 6-0; Alex Whalen, Council Rock North, def. Ben Wolfe (7), Wissahickon, 6-1, 6-4; Matt Whalen, Council Rock North, def. Luke Pain, Perkiomen Valley, 7-5, 6-2; Isac Rockover, Abington, def. Aidan Reimers, Chichester, 6-1, 6-2; Matt Chen (2), Lower Merion, bye.
Second round
Dickson (1), DtE, def. Ellis, Pb, 6-1, 6-2; Pascual (8), SF, def. Caban, UDar, 1-6, 6-2, 6-2; Bradley, Uv, def. Ruth, Con, 6-2, 7-6 (5); Hammitt (4), SH, def. Victor, Chelt, 6-0, 6-2.
Groetsch (3), CBE, def. Szyna, UDub, 6-3, 6-3; Tran (6), Wiss, def. Taylor, Rad, 6-1, 6-1; Whalen, CRN, def. Whalen, CRN, 7-5, 6-4; Chen (2), LMer, def. Rockover, Ab, 6-1, 6-2.
