Two-time defending 4A state girls tennis champ Hailey Kerker of Camas dropped just three games Friday to reach the semifinals at the state tournament in Kennewick.
Kerker opened defense of her titles with a 6-1, 6-0 win over Frey Ping of Newport, and then beat Camas teammate Yvonne Yin 6-1, 6-1 in the quarterfinals.
In Saturday’s semifinal, Kerker will face Mia Yoon of Newport who also dropped just three games on Friday.
Camas is poised for some big team points Saturday with Yin playing for fourth place and Avery Fisher in the fifth-place final.
Then add in defending doubles state champions Taryn Kerker and Fiona Zou in the semfinals and Camas could be in the discussion for a team title.
Taryn Kerker and Zou got through with a 6-0, 6-3 quarterfinal win over 4A Greater St. Helens League rivals Lana and Kayla Saopraseuth of Union.
In the 4A boys tournament also at Kennewick, Camas has both its doubles teams in the semifinals, however, against each other.
Nathan Chen and Kyle Wen will face off against Aidan Brasier and Tommy James on Saturday for a spot in the final. While Brasier and James have cruised to the semis, Chen and Wen had to go three sets in their quarterfinal before winning on injury default with the score 1-6, 7-6 (6), 5-1.
Skyview’s Aidan Bucerzan is in the fifth-place final against Adam Tan of Hanford on Saturday. Bucerzan got beat 6-0, 6-0 by Matthew Morrison of Richland, who reached the semifinals. Bucerzan then won twice in straight sets in the consolation round to ensure a state placing.
3A state tournament
Mountain View’s girls doubles team of Brynn DeSantis and Lexi Frost are in the fourth-place semifinal at Vancouver Tennis Center on Saturday morning.
After battling through a three-set 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 win in the first round, DeSantis and Frost lost in the quarterfinal round 6-0, 6-0 to a pair from Mercer Island.
2A state tournament
Annie Morgan and Sydney Dreves reached the semifinal round at the Nordstrom Tennis Center on the University of Washington campus with a pair of straight-set victories.
River’s singles players Emma Lungwitz and Jenny Serebriakova are in the fourth-place semifinal along with Mark Morris’ Madelyn Hetland, who will play Lungwitz. River doubles players Shaylin Murphy and Annabella Madrigal are also in a fourth-place semifinal.
The Columbia River boys find themselves in fourth-place semifinals as well. Lucas Walburn lost a tough quarterfinal against Garrett Little of Sequim 4-6, 6-0, 10-6. Fuller Beyer and Trent Sarvela lost in similar fashion in their doubles quarterfinal, 3-6, 6-3, 10-7.
Also in the fourth-place semifinal is Fort Vancouver’s Andrew Walczyk. He needed a third-set super-tiebreaker to win his first-round match over Conner Kunz of West Valley-Spokane 3-6, 6-1, 10-5. But Walczyk lost in the quarterfinals to Cole Balen of Archbishop Murphy 6-0, 6-3.
1A state tournament
Stevenson’s doubles team of Sofia Spencer and Piper Rudd won their opening match at Yakima in three sets, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4, but then lost in the quarterfinals 6-1, 6-1 and were eliminated in a three-set consolation match 4-6, 6-2, 7-6.
