2011 OHSAA Girls Tennis Championships
Elysium Tennis Center

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OHSAA Girls Tennis State Tournament Recap � October 22, 2011

PLAIN CITY, Ohio – The 2011 OHSAA girls tennis state tournaments concluded Saturday afternoon after inclement weather forced play indoors to the Elysium Tennis Center in Plain City.

The Division I singles championship was a repeat of the Southwest sectional and district finals where Cincinnati Ursuline Academy�s Mehvish Safdar (So.), the 2010 DI doubles champion, defeated last year�s Division I singles state champion Sandy Niehaus (Jr., Cincinnati Mt. Notre Dame) 6-1, 7-5. Safdar joined the singles tournament after the graduation of her sister and partner Komal Safdar, the 2009 DI singles champion. In the consolation match, Toledo St. Ursula Academy�s Kennedy Shaffer (Fr.) won by an injury default over Westlake junior Lauren Golick, who finished third last year. Shaffer competed against eventual state champion Safdar in the semifinals before losing 6-3, 6-3.

The Division II 2010 Dublin Jerome doubles runner-up partners Lauren Bellinger (Jr.) and Sarah Stein (Jr.) returned to the state tournament to claim the 2011 crown. They defeated Columbus Bishop Watterson�s Katie Shepherd (Jr.) and Lauren Ghidotti (So.) 0-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) in a match that lasted 2 hours and 20 minutes. The consolation match featured Upper Arlington�s Elaine Cloern (Jr.) and Audrey Berger (Fr.) against Aundrea Busse (So.) and Julie Brockman (Jr.) of Springboro. After a losing a close semifinal match to Dublin Jerome, Upper Arlington came out strong and defeated Springboro 6-1, 6-3. It was the 33rd appearance by an Upper Arlington team or player at the state tournament.

The Division II singles tournament pitted a No. 3 seed against a No. 1 seed, but the 2010 singles runner-up Rachel Nelson (Jr., Millersburg West Holmes) wouldn�t be upset as she defeated Lexington�s Courtney Earnest (Sr.) 7-5, 6-2. It was the third-straight state appearance for Nelson, who finished fourth in the 2009 doubles bracket with her sister Mary Nelson. In the consolation match, My Linh Li (Jr., Columbus St. Francis DeSales) defeated Danielle Wolf (Fr., Cincinnati Country Day) 2-6, 6-3, 6-1. Li also made a state appearance in 2009 when she won the doubles tournament with her sister Kim My Li.

In Division II doubles, Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy seniors Dominique Baxter and Holly Dahmus brought home the school�s first title since 2002, defeating Alison Biltz (Sr.) and Danielle Buchinsky (Fr.) of Shaker Heights Laurel, 6-1, 6-1. Baxter was also the 2010 doubles runner-up with graduated partner Kassie Faugno. The pair finishes their careers with a combined seven state appearances. Laurel�s Biltz also ends her career with back-to-back state showings. In the consolation match, Amy Smedira (Sr.) and Adrian Young (Fr.) from Pepper Pike Orange defeated Toledo Ottawa Hills� Shivani Bhatt (Jr.) and Nancy Rumpf (Sr.) 6-1, 6-4.