Ross can repeat in Class 2A

There was a time when the WPIAL could not win a match in the PIAA Class 2A singles and doubles championships.

This year, however, there is a possibility for an all-WPIAL final in singles and doubles at the state championships at Hershey Racquet Club.

For the second consecutive year Carlynton senior Luke Phillips and Sewickley Academy’s Luke Ross are through the first two rounds and into semifinals. They appear headed for a rematch of the 2016 PIAA final in which Ross pulled out a 6-4, 6-3 victory to become only the second WPIAL player to win a Class 2A singles title.

Ross was relatively unchallenged as he rolled through the preliminary round with a 6-0, 6-0 victory against George Markley of Lancaster Country Day just a week after the two paired off against each other in the PIAA team championships.

He then defeated District 4 champion Tim Sprunt of Lewisburg, 6-0, 6-1, to reach the semifinals for the third time in his career. He will face Adrian Roji of New Hope Solebury at 9 a.m. Saturday in the semifinals.

Phillips had a much more arduous task as the WPIAL runner-up drew District 12 champion and 2016 semifinalist Jonathan Nottingham of Masterman in the first round.

It took three sets, but the Cleveland State recruit pulled out a 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 win, then ousted District 11 champion John Yurkonic of Salisbury to set up a semifinal date with District 3 champion William Wanner of Lancaster Mennonite.

For the third time Sewickley Academy has two doubles teams in the semifinals as senior WPIAL champions Ryan Gex and Neil Rana and third-place finishers Arjan Bedi and Nishant Pure wall are in the semifinals.

The Panthers did the same thing in 2006 and 2012, but were not able to get a team into the final. No WPIAL doubles team has played in a Class 2A PIAA championship match.

It was not a good day for the WPIAL in Class 3A as both of its doubles qualifiers, Upper St. Clair senior Liam Gibbons and junior Kevin Kwok and freshman Ben Ringeisen and junior Ted Donegan of Hampton, were knocked out. So, too, was WPIAL singles runnerup and 2016 PIAA finalist Robby Shymansky of Fox Chapel, who lost in the quarterfinals to Michael Dickson of Downingtown East, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.

Peters Township freshman Connor Bruce, the WPIAL singles champion, was the only WPIAL player to move onto the Class 3A semifinals.