Panthers boys doubles tandem, St. Mary’s trio advance in championship bracket at tennis state tournament

South Medford sophomore Alexis Uschold reached the quarterfinals for a second straight year to highlight opening-day play in the tennis state championships Thursday at Tualatin Hills Tennis Center in Beaverton.

Uschold, who placed fourth in Class 6A girls tennis singles last year, entered this year’s tourney as the No. 2 seed and lived up to that billing in her lone match on Day 1. After receiving a bye in the first round, Uschold took care of McMinnville’s Marjorie Tamber without giving up a game in a 6-0, 6–0 romp in the second round.

Uschold advanced to face sixth-seeded Sonya Drayton of West Linn in the quarterfinals Friday.

Also reaching the quarterfinals were South Medford’s fifth-seeded boys doubles tandem of junior Alexander Gurov and senior Antonio Perez-Cansino.

The Panthers’ top doubles team scored a pair of victories Thursday, winning 7-5, 6-1 over Nelson’s Aiden Truong and Nathan Aing in the opening round and then dispatching South Eugene’s Malachi Alrahmani and Aidan Kresko in the second round, 7-6 (2), 6-0.

Gurov and Perez-Cansino face the No. 3-seeded Robert Evenson and Ryan Alavi of Lake Oswego in Friday’s quarterfinals.

In Class 4A/3A/2A/1A play at the OSU Tennis Complex in Corvallis, St. Mary’s boys doubles pairing Titus Stark-Seymour and Sriram Dinesh and girls singles player Piper Ravassipour each scored wins in their tournament openers.

Stark-Seymour and Dinesh, both seniors, opened tournament play with a 6-2, 6-0 win over Irrigon’s Oscar Corria and Shane Issel.

Ravassipour, a sophomore, won 6-3, 6-1 over Crook County’s Gabi Ramos.

Cascade Christian girls doubles team Paige Cohee and Tanaya Mahar and the St. Mary’s tandem of Aleeza Jaffar and Ryleigh Ho came up short in their opening matches and dropped into the consolation bracket.

Freshman Adalie Ford of St. Mary’s also lost 6-4, 6-2 to Oregon Episcopal’s Carlie Li in the girls singles opening round and opens consolation play with the others Friday.

The Class 5A state tournament begins Friday.

Reach sports editor Kris Henry at kris.henry@rv-times.com or 458-488-2035