The Nation Ford Falcons girl’s tennis team opened the 2020 season on the correct side of the Region 3-5A standings with a 5-1 win over rivals Fort Mill.
Two of those five wins for Nation Ford, who has started the season 1-0, came in third set tiebreakers. Leading the way for the Falcons was Vanessa Cardona with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Madison McCarty in No. 1 singles.
Sister Alexandra Cardona in No. 2 singles won 6-0, 6-0 over Katie Pierson for Nation Ford and No. 5 singles Neha Arunprakash also got the 6-0, 6-0 win over Bristol Kershaw for the Falcons as well.
In one of the three-set tiebreakers, Tanvi Sikka for Nation Ford won 3-6, 6-4, 10-7 in No. 3 singles over Sophie Bennett for Fort Mill. The second tiebreaker saw the Falcons’ Meera Patel in No. 4 singles win 4-6, 7-5, 10-5 over Rachel Templeton of Fort Mill.
Fort Mill, who dropped to 0-1 with the loss, did come away with a win in No. 2 doubles as Clare Lake and Kate Hill teamed up to beat the Falcons’ Bella Neff and Lauren Padgett 7-5, 6-3.
Nation Ford’s next match is currently scheduled for Sept. 3 at Boiling Springs. Fort Mill’s next match is currently schedule for Sept. 2 at Rock Hill.
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
