Fourth-seeded Sierra took five of six singles matches from No. 5 Patterson on Wednesday on the way to a 7-2 win in Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV playoff action at Manteca Regional Tennis Center.
“Singles came up huge today,” Sierra coach Ed Melfort said. “We have been strong pretty much all year in singles and we are continuing that in the playoffs.
“I am really proud of them.”
In those five singles matches that Sierra (14-3) won it yielded a total of six sets, including 6-1, 6-0 wins by No. 1 Kaitlyn Rausa over Ezia Ogbuli and No. 3 Ellie Kim over Marissa Telles.
“We did really well overall in singles,” Kim said. “Patterson has good players, but at Sierra we have the determination to win.”
Timberwolves No. 5 Sydney Hynuh gave up dominated in a 6-0, 6-2 win over Brenda Arias.
“I just went out there and did my job and helped contribute to the team,” Hynuh said. “I try to have fun and I felt more confidence than in previous games.
Sierra No. 2 Nadia Petrovic and No. 4 Melanie Nguyen had convincing wins, with Petrovic downing Breanna Hernandez 6-2, 6-1 and Nguyen defeating Erika Reynosa 6-0, 6-3.
“I came out here today not knowing what to expect,” Petrovic said. “Because we have never seen this team before. But I knew I would try my hardest to win because this is a really important match for us.”
The lone singles win for the Tigers came at No. 6 with Maya Turner defeating Amaya Baluyt 2-6, 2-6.
The Timberwolves took two out of three doubles matches with No. 1 Natalie Rootsaert-Manpreet Kaur being taken to three sets by Alyssa Patterson-Aurora Gonzalez 6-3, 2-6, 6-1, the only three-set match of the day.
Sierra No. 2 Joyce Sebastian-Danielle Werra survived Mikayla Coburn-Marisol Jiminez 7-5, 6-4 with No. 3 Jasmine Sebastian-Veronica Martinez losing to Arianna Herrera-Tiffany Do 3-6, 5-7.
Sierra travels to Los Banos on Tuesday in a semifinal match.
The SJS Division II singles and doubles tournaments will be today in Roseville at the Johnson Ranch Racquet Club with Rausa competing in the singles bracket and Petrovic and Kim competing as a doubles team.
“Nadia (Petrovic) is an amazing teammate,” Kim said. “I love playing with her.”
Petrovic competed in the SJS doubles championships last season.
“Last year I got the chance to play with Claire Banks in doubles and we did really well,” Pertovic said. “But this year I feel like Ellie (Kim) and I have a way better chance because our communication is totally great.
“Ellie and I have like the power of twins. She knows exactly what I’m thinking and I know exactly what she’s thinking and we are able to communicate really well on the court and our playing styles really match up well.”