Local top-ranked tennis player wins sectional tournament,
competes in first 14s tourney
Morgan Hill – Morgan Hill’s Samantha Polayes, the top-ranked 12-year-old girls tennis player in Northern California, has continued her success through the summer.
She won the Northern California 12s Sectional Tournament in Fresno at the Sierra Sport and Racket Club in June to take home her first sectional title.
Polayes struggled a bit in her first match of the tournament but pulled out a 6-2, 6-4 win against Ruri Kobayakawa of Cupertino. She continued on by beating Sacramento’s Karolina Kecki 6-1, 6-4 in the quarterfinals and San Jose’s Kennedy Davis 6-3, 6-2 in the semifinals to advance to the finals against her doubles partner, Julie Leong.
Her 6-3, 6-2 win over Leong gave her the title in the tournament in which she didn’t lose a single set.
Polayes then teamed up with Leong to play through the scorching hot temperatures and win the doubles championship.
Polayes continued on to the National 14s Open in Long Beach in early July to compete in her first 14-year-old national tournament.
She dropped her first round match against the No. 6 seed. She then faced off against Jessica Warren from Southern California in her first consolation round match and gutted out a 7-5, 7-4 win.
In the next round, Polayes was knocked out of the tournament with a 6-2, 6-2 loss to Danielle Flores to complete her first 14-year-old tournament experience.
Polayes latest tournament experience was in Naples, Fla., for the 14s Zonals Tournament held July 9-13 at the Naples Bath and Tennis Club.
The tournament is played on green clay courts, giving Polayes her first experience playing a tournament on clay.
Twelve boys and 12 girls teams in each zone are placed into two groups of six teams, which each team consisting of five players.
Polayes’ girls team did well, placing fourth overall. Polayes won all four of her singles matches, played against competitors from Florida, Texas and Arizona.
