Here at 10sBalls.com, we love tennis and to support the community as a whole. This article comes from one of our readers, and we hope it will be the first in a continuing theme to elevate great tennis from all areas. Congratulations Erica on achieving 3rd!
Written by: Chuck Adams | Times/Review Contributor, Republished from Suffolksports.com with Permission
Mattituck ‘s Erica Bundrick, the No. 5 seed, placed third in singles in the Suffolk County Division IV individual girls tennis tournament at. Bundrick outlasted Southampton’s Jordan Dubin, 6-0, 2-6, 6-1, in the consolation match on Tuesday.
Bundrick beat The Ross School’s Shannon Polley, 6-3, 6-0, and Westhampton Beach’s Claudia Purkis, 6-3, 6-2, on Saturday. In the quarterfinals on Monday, Bundrick rolled past Shoreham-Wading River ‘s Amy Manfredo, 6-3, 6-2. But in the semifinals, Bundrick faced the top seed, Nadia Smergut of The Ross School, and lost, 6-0, 6-1.
“Erica was an absolute model of consistency,” Mattituck Coach Jim Christy said. “She found the ability to hit good strokes at a good pace and keep the ball in play.”
Christy said a major change in Bundrick’s mindset happened in a match against the East Hampton/Bridgehampton Bonackers two weeks ago.
“Erica used to pound the ball from the baseline,” he said. “Now she’s toned it down and made the opponents beat her, rather than giving points away. Erica now understands the value of consistency. She realizes regardless of the opponent, if she can be consistent, she can beat anybody.”
Bundrick will take part in the Suffolk County Tournament, which begins on Saturday at Smithtown East.
In the doubles quarterfinals on Monday, the No. 1 seeded team of Diane Vanvakitis and Jamie Hann of Westhampton Beach beat Bishop McGann-Mercy ‘s Taryn Enck and Shannon Merker, 6-0, 6-3. Third-seeded Remy Kneski and Bridget Connors of Westhampton Beach defeated McGann-Mercy’s No. 6 duo of Kayleigh Macchirole and Erica Blanco, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4.
The Riverhead Blue Waves’ doubles team of Jordan Barnard and Meyling Zuniga won their opening-round match, but then fell in the second round to Macchirole and Blanco, 6-4, 6-2.
Barnard and Zuniga, after going 8-6 during the regular season and winning the decisive match in an upset victory over the Shoreham-Wading River Wildcats, even surprised their coach, Jerry Duvall.
“Jordan and Meyling played very well together,” he said. “They had good chemistry.”
In another first-round match on Saturday, Southampton’s Noa Dubin beat Greenport /Southold / Shelter Island ‘s Sarah Stromski, 6-1, 6-2.
“Sarah played well,” Coach Allison Krupski said. “She just lost to a tough player.”
Topics: Absolute Model, Bridgehampton, Coach Jim, Consolation Match, Dubin, East Hampton, Enck, Jim Christy, Kayleigh, Manfredo, Mcgann Mercy, Merker, Polley, Quarterfinals, Reader Submission, Ross School, Shoreham Wading River, Suffolk County, Taryn, Tennis Tournament, Westhampton Beach