No duplicate feat in 3A for Schuster, who loses in quarterfinals

How did this happen?

In a moment better suited for the championship finals, instead defending Class 4A state girls tennis champion Angela Schuster, of Timberline, and Lakeside of Seattle’s Viv Daniel met up in the 3A quarterfinals Friday.

And Daniel, who has done everything but win a state title in high school, took a huge step as a senior by upending Schuster, 6-3, 6-0, at Tri-City Court Club in Kennewick.

“It’s too bad two of the best players here could not play later in the bracket,” Timberline coach Kristine Mosher said.

It might not have mattered.

On a day when Schuster struggled with her serve, Daniel — a top-200 player nationally who has committed to Bowdoin College in Maine — had a bead on everything the Timberline junior was trying.

“It didn’t matter if Angela tried topsin or slice (on her serve) — Viv picked it up,” Mosher said.

A lower-seeded player for the state championships after defaulting out of last week’s Sea-King District tournament because of illness, Daniel got a break of service early in the first set, then controlled it the rest of the way. Schuster had no break-point chances.

The loss snapped Schuster’s eight-match winning streak at the state championships. She is still alive in the consolation bracket, and will play Interlake’s Olivia Sun for fourth place.

In her first match, Schuster stopped Interlake’s Abby Nash, 6-1, 6-0, to set up the showdown with Daniel, who has twice been a state runner-up, and placed third in last year’s tournament.

On the other side of the bracket, North Thurston’s Izabella Bilecova advanced to the semifinals and will play Shorewood’s Sasha Gaeth on Saturday.

Bilecova beat Arlington’s Layla Garduno-Cravioto (6-0, 6-0) and Interlake’s Olivia Sun (6-3, 6-2) in the first two rounds.

In 3A boys, Capital’s Ranjan Sharangpani cruised by Bellevue's Cameron Yang (6-3, 6-2) and Shorewood’s Gunnar Thorstenson (6-2, 6-2) to advance in Kennewick.

Sharangpani will play Garfield’s August Knox in Saturday’s semifinals.

North Thurston duo Michael Campbell and Thomas Sui also advanced in the doubles bracket, and will play Seattle Prep’s Matt Zech and Alex Blattner.

Campbell and Sui beat Mercer Island’s Kevin Chen and Jonah Tang (6-4, 6-3) in the first round. They then beat Lakeside’s Eli Fonseca and Jason Edmonds (6-1, 3-6, 6-4) in the quarterfinals.

CLASS 4A

Olympia’s Justin Ong is in the semifinals Saturday in Richland after picking up wins against Wenatchee’s Jack Yount (2-6, 6-2, 6-0) and Jackson’s Anuj Vimawala (7-6, 6-2). He’ll play Issaquah’s Derek Chao for a trip to the title match.

CLASS 2A

Centralia’s Ellie Corwin and Hannah Jeffries advanced in the doubles bracket at Nordstrom Tennis Center in Seattle.

The duo beat Othello's Tanaya Anderson and Katie Walker (6-3, 6-2) in the first round, then won in three sets over Sehome’s Sidney Balfour and Ava McIlvaine (6-4, 3-6, 7-5).

Corwin and Jeffries will play Bellingham’s Sophia Lawrence and Alice Hiebert in the semifinals Saturday.

This story was originally published May 26, 2017 at 7:35 PM with the headline "No duplicate feat in 3A for Schuster, who loses in quarterfinals."