Kingston's Lila Shih Freeman places 4th
Kingston High School eighth-grader Lila Shih Freeman placed fourth overall Friday.
Eighth-grader Lila Shih Freeman, who became the first Kingston High girl to reach the final day of the Orange County Interscholastic Athletic Association tennis tournament in 17 years, placed fourth overall Friday.
Freeman, seeded fifth in the singles draw, lost to freshman and eventual singles champion Jalynn Balleste of Washingtonville 6-1, 6-3 in the semifinals at the Match Point Tennis Complex. Freeman missed a chance to get within 5-4 in the second set, but Balleste hung on to get match point.
Kingston’s top player later lost in the consolation final to Cornwall’s Shirali Patel, 6-2, 6-2.
“We haven’t gotten a player to the semifinals in the counties or section since 2000,” Kingston coach Bill Constant noted.
The last Kingston players to accomplish that was a wild card doubles team of Andrea Marz and deMarigny Hanstein in 2000.
Freeman drew a bye in the first round on Thursday, then posted two big victories. She defeated Makaela Hung of Monroe Woodbury 6-1, 6-0 in the second round. a win that qualififed Freeman for next week’s Section 9 tournament.
Down 3-1 in the first set of her quarterfinal match against fourth-seeded Celesta Blezy of Minisink Valley, Freeman rallied to win 12 of the next 15 games to pull out a 7-5, 6-1 triumph.
“Trailing 1-3, Lila played the best four games I’ve seen her play this season,” Constant said.
The Section 9 tourney is Tuesday and Wednesday at the Match Point Complex.