Unionville’s Grace Li wins District 1 singles championship

Unionville’s Grace Li reached the District 1 Class 3A singles championship for the second straight year. This time, the result was the one she wished for.

The Unionville junior and No. 1 seed capped her run through the District 1 singles tournament without dropping a set, downing Council Rock South’s Dasha Chichkina in the final, 7-5, 6-0, on Saturday the Springfield YMCA.

Li was a finalist in 2021, falling to North Penn’s Esha Velaga, 6-2, 6-2.

The semifinals, which featured four juniors, saw Li top Owen J. Roberts’ Allison Root, 6-4, 6-1. In the bottom half of the draw, Chichkina, the No. 3 seed, rallied past No. 2 seed Mia Matriccino of Spring-Ford, 3-6, 6-2, 6-3.

In a re-run of the Pioneer Athletic Conference singles final, Matriccino topped Root in the third-place match, 6-3, 4-6, 6-0.

The four semifinalists have qualified for the PIAA Championships, which will be held at the Hershey Racquet Club on Nov. 4-5.

In Class 2A, Lower Moreland sophomore Hannah Kideckel defeated Merion Mercy junior Sofia Berestetka, 6-4, 6-4.