Westford Academy Girls’ Tennis defeated Framingham High School 5-0 on Sunday, June 1 at Colonel John Robinson School. The match, which was the first playoff game of the season, came after the team achieved the much-coveted title of Dual County League (DCL) Champions.
Despite being ranked third in the state in comparison to the Framingham Flyers’ thirtieth seed, the Ghosts faced unexpected challenges throughout the match, namely turbulent winds resulting from unpredictable weather.
“It would be sunny sometimes, and then the wind would [pick up], so it’s really important that we were adapting to that and making the [necessary] changes,” junior captain Haasini Sriraman said.
Regardless of these struggles, the Ghosts played with fervour, hitting crisp serves and returning most shots. Initially, the match progressed quickly in WA’s favor, but Framingham upped the competition towards the end, slowing the match down and forcing WA to raise their game.
Senior captain Emily Wang competed in the first singles match, winning her first set 6-1. Wang’s precise movements highlighted her experience with the sport and gave her an edge in the second set as well, in spite of her Framingham opponent’s difficult-to-return shots. Although the first singles match was one of the longest face-offs of the game, Wang won the second set 6-3, winning the overall point for WA.
One court over, sophomore Melanie Chang similarly demonstrated her expertise, and won her first set 6-1. Chang fired off powerful serves and shots to combat Framingham’s resilient returns, defeating her opponent in the second set 6-2 and winning her overall match.
“I felt like this [was a match] that should not have given me as much trouble as it did,” Chang said. “But I feel like I did a good job staying calm and keeping my composure.”
The third singles player of the match, sophomore Nina Chawla, won her first set 6-1. She won her second set with little struggle as well, finishing with a final score of 6-0 and earning another point for WA.
“The wind made it tough playing because my shots wouldn’t go where I wanted them to go, but I felt like if I continued to persevere and be patient, I could keep my balls in,” Chawla said.
Meanwhile, the first and second doubles matches were faring equally well.
The first doubles duo, consisting of sophomore Sohana Arani and freshman Emma Park, proved to be an efficient team. The two refused to lose a single point, winning both of their sets 6-0. The second doubles duo, consisting of junior captain Haasini Sriraman and sophomore Ambika Arunrajhesh, showed the same determination, also winning both sets 6-0.
“It feels great to play in the playoffs again,” Arani said. “We played last year, now we’re playing this year. It’s a good opportunity to grow.”
WA swept the competition, winning every match with a significant lead. With a positive start to the state tournament, the team has hopes of advancing even further. Last year, the Ghosts were knocked out at the quarter finals, but Wang has higher ambitions for this season.
“A goal would be to get further than we did last year,” Wang said. “Semi-finals, or even finals, if possible.”
Head coach Tracy Capone believes that although the goal every year for the team is to make it to playoffs and beyond if possible, it is important for the players to stay focused on the present and not look too far into the future.
“We just have to take it one match at a time. You never want to look too far ahead, because then you miss what’s in front of you,” Capone said.
The next girls’ tennis playoff match will be on Wednesday, June 4 at 3:00 p.m. at the Robinson School Tennis Courts against Arlington High School.
