It’s fairly rare when both the Burbank High and Burroughs girls’ tennis teams are ranked in the CIF Southern Section.
On Tuesday, they both were and it showed in a Pacific League match as the visiting Bulldogs and Indians were tied at 9-9 and needed games in order to render a winner.
Burbank (5-1 and 4-1 in league), which is ranked No. 6 in Division II, prevailed 75-68 with enough drama to last a while as No. 3 Siya Joshi, a sophomore, was down 2-5 to senior Savannah Dorris, but then rallied for a 7-5 win that forced the match to be decided by games.
“It’s going to be a close one. I see the finish line. Either it’s going to be 9-9 or 10-8 Burroughs,” Burbank coach Loi Phan said. “We’re both leveled out. It’s a good match.”
Phan went on: “Our doubles are down a little. Our singles carried us. Their doubles carried them.”
Burbank’s No. 1 singles player, junior Kristina Kirakosyan, blitzed through 6-0, 6-1, 6-1, knocking off No. 1 Sandy LeMay, a senior, Dorris and No. 3 Alice Weber, a junior.
At No. 2 for Burbank, senior Johana Faraj, went 6-0, 6-1, 6-0, but Joshi lost to LeMay 6-1 and Weber 6-2.
The Indians (2-4 and 1-3 in league) are ranked No. 1 in Division III and took seven of nine in doubles play.
Burroughs’ No. 1 doubles tandem of Irish Demesa, a junior and Phuong Nguyen, a senior, went 6-4, 7-5, 6-2, defeating No. 1 Daisy Kim, a senior and Esther Chung, a senior, No. 2 Jinette Faraj, a sophomore and Ellie Sumera, a freshman and No. 3 Lilyan Hawrylo, a freshman and Anneke Pullen, a freshman.
The Indians’ No. 2 doubles squad, Mikalya Hayes, a junior and Suzy Kim, a junior, took two of three including a 6-2 triumph over Kim and Uma Patil, a senior, who substituted for Chung.
Hayes and Kim also prevailed 6-0 over Burbank’s No. 3, but lost 6-2 against Faraj and Sumera.
The Indians’ No. 3 duo of Vicky Shagriyan, a junior and Pranathi Darbhala, a senior, went 6-1 over Kim and Patil and 6-3 over Hawrylo and Pullen, but fell to Faraj and Sumera 6-3.
