LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. —
LEXINGTON—By winning her first two rounds in the KHSAA Girls’ State Tennis Tournament, South Laurel’s Neha Rao was rewarded with a match against No. 2 seed Ellie Gerlach of Christian Academy of Louisville Friday morning at the University of Kentucky tennis courts.
In the end, Gerlach was just too much for Rao, winning in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3. It was Rao’s first loss of the tennis season.
To get to the Round of 16, Rao opened tournament play with an easy 6-0, 6-0 win over Mikayla Estepp of Johnson Central. She then faced Manual’s Sarah Stearman, and after a tough first set, which she won, 7-5, Rao stormed through the second set, 6-0.
North Laurel’s doubles team of Pooja Kanthawar/Caroline Moore opened tournament play at Shillito Park with a 6-2, 6-2 win over June Buchanan’s Channing Everidge/Jackie Henderson. But North’s luck ran out in the next match when they were bumped from the tournament by the No. 9 seeded team from Sacred Heart, Mary Elaine Duo/Erin MacMillian, 6-0, 6-2.
There was no love given for North Laurel’s duo of Brad Baker and Rajeev Jadhav. Even though they were region winners, their first match was against the No. 5 seeded team from Manual, Joe Hodapp/Cameron Strunk. The Manual duo advanced with a 6-1, 6-1 win.
It wasn’t a good day for North Laurel boys’ doubles as the other team to make state, Travis Evans/Spencer Bolton, fell to Henry Clay’s Alex Atwood/Sam Hughes, 6-0, 6-0.
sports@sentinel-echo.com
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Related Photos
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South Laurel’s Neha Rao serves during her opening round match in the state tennis tournament. She advanced to the Round of 16 before falling. Photo by Denis House
May 21, 2012
Rao falls in Round of 16
South Laurel tennis standout falls to No. 2 seed in state tennis tournament
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