Phoenixville pair joins OJR’s Smith, Norristown’s Waweru in PAC Singles semifinals
Phoenixville will be assured a finalist in the Pioneer Athletic Conference boys tennis singles championship round.
That scenario evolved out of Friday’s opening round of play, which was altered from its original plan by rain showers early in the day. Phantoms Mike Ellis and Graham Light, both situated in the lower half of the league’s 32-player bracket, advanced to Saturday’s semifinal after playing a mixed pro-set/regular set format.
Ellis, the tournament’s third seed, will face Light in the one semi while Owen J. Roberts’ Holden Smith and Norristown’s Franko Waweru will pair up in the other. Smith is the tourney’s top seed, Waweru its fourth seed.
Ellis came off a first-round bye to post an 8-2 pro-set victory over OJR’s Peter Sagona, He then topped Spring-Ford’s Malchu Pascual 6-3, 6-4 to complete his sweep through the first day.
Light, in turn, had an 8-7 (3) victory in his first match. He followed with an 8-2 win over Pope John Paul II’s Lorenz Rustand before topping Spring-Ford’s TJ Cruickshank in three sets, 6-3, 2-6, 6-4.
On the upper level, Smith followed a first-round bye by sweeping the opposition. He followed an 8-0 win over with Pottsgrove’s Dwight Marazas with a 6-0, 6-0 run over Upper Merion’s Jaden Mayer.
Waweru also got a first-round bye. He added an 8-3 victory over UM’s Chetan Mitra before needing a tiebreaker 6-2, 7-6 (5) verdict over Methacton’s Adam Zhang.
PAC Singles Championships
At Perkiomen Valley
First Round
Holden Smith (OJR) bye; Dwight Marazas (Pg) def. Kenil Patel (Pt) 8-0; Owen Kulig (Bt) def. Matt Piccari (Nt) 8-0; Jaden Mayer (UM) def. Daniel So (Px) 8-1; Bradley Dickerman (PV) def. Jake Vogel (UP) 8-5; Adam Zhang (M) def. Ben D’Arcangelo (SF) 8-1; Chetan Mitra (UM) def. Jason Watts (Pg) 8-6; Franko Waweru (Nt) bye.
Mike Ellis (Px) bye; Peter Sagona (OJR) def. Chanbin Choi (PJP), 8-7 (5); Dustin Schreiber (Pg) def. Robbie Fleming (Pt) 8-1; Malchu Pascual (SF) def. Farraz Haider (PV) 8-1; Graham Light (Px) def. Joe Corcoran (Bt) 8-7 (3); Lorenz Rustandi (PJP) def. Adam Dockery (UP) 8-3; Brandon Miller (OJR) def. Ryan Shayer (PV), 8-7 (0); TJ Cruickshank (SF) bye.
Second round
Smith (OJR) def. Marazas (Pg) 8-0; Mayer (UM) def. Kulig (Bt) 8-4; Zhang (M) def. Dickerman (PV) 8-4; Waweru (Nt) def. Mitra (UM) 8-3.
Ellis (Px) def. Sagona (OJR) 8-2; Pascual (SF) def. Schreiber (Pg) 8-1; Light (Px) def. Rustandi (PJP) 8-2; Cruickshank (SF) def. Miller (OJR) 8-3.
Quarterfinals
Smith (OJR) def. Mayer (UM) 6-0, 6-0; Waweru (Nt) def. Zhang (M) 6-2, 7-6 (5); Ellis (Px) def. Pascual (SF) 6-3, 6-4; Light (Px) def. Cruickshank (SF) 6-3, 2-6, 6-4.
