WW-P South’s Karra wins MCT singles title in first attempt
WEST WINDSOR >> Kavya Karra is making quite the impression on high school tennis.
The West Windsor South freshman is now a Mercer County Tournament champions.
Karra won the county crown in her first attempt after she came from down a break in the third set to take six consecutive games and beat Peddie’s Kathryn Fang, 6-1, 2-6, 6-1 in first singles on Wednesday afternoon at the Mercer Tennis Center.
“It was exciting,” Karra said. “It’s also a different experience with a team because I play USTA tournament, but when my teammates cheer me on, it’s a different atmosphere.”
Karra said her teammates rooting for her helped a lot since the final took place in the bright sunshine on an unusual 85-degree day in late September.
“Since it was really hot out, it helped my energy,” said Karra, who was the top seed. “I was physically exhausted and it got to my head, but I decided to pull through.”
Karra cruised 6-1 in the first set but Fang turned things around in the second by winning 6-2 to force a decisive third set. Fang broke Karra’s serve in the first game, but the Pirate younster stepped her game up to win the next six.
“I just told myself there was one more set and this was the final, so pull through,” Karra said. “I wanted to show energy. It was pretty important after she got the break to show that I’m not giving in because if she gets more it could be a different match.”
That was the shift in momentum.
“I get happy and I can kind of see the end,” Karra said. “I try to compose myself and think about the points.”
Princeton wrestled the team title away from Hightstown with 25 points to the Rams’ 23.
The Tigers got victories from Isabella Lependorf at second singles and Sophia Kim and Lucia Marckioni at first doubles. The doubles match between Kim and Marckioni and Hightstown’s Morgan Koppell and Maeve McGowan decided whether the teams would share the title or Princeton would come out ahead.
Kim and Marckioni clinched it by winning the third set 6-2. Lependorf won 6-0, 6-3 over West Windsor South’s Melissa Lu.
Princeton Day’s Neha Khandkar was victorious at third singles 3-6, 6-4-6-1 over Princeton’s Nicole Samios.
Hightstown’s Siya Buddhadev and Vinathi Muthyala beat Princeton’s Sora Sato and Ilana Scheer 6-4, 6-3 at second doubles.
In a rematch of last year’s first singles final, Hightstown’s Avnika Naraparaju took third with a 7-6, 6-3 triumph over Nottingham’s Rosemarie Esquivel.