Area players take three tennis titles at states

Harriton's Max Blumenthal matched his twin sister's accomplishment of winning a state tennis championship on Saturday.

Blumenthal teamed with Sam Borowsky to capture the PIAA Class AA doubles title at the Hershey Racquet Club with a 6-1, 6-3 triumph over Jimmy Fitzgibbon and Ryan Rothman of District 10's Fairview High.

The Harriton juniors, who won a 6-2, 6-2 semifinal match in the morning over Lancaster Catholic's Ryan Bair and Ryan Duschi, did not lose a set in four matches in the state tournament.

District 1 claimed three of the four available titles as Unionville's Michael Furr won the Class AAA singles trophy, and Radnor's Andrew Zhong and Gavin Studner won in Class AAA doubles.

Blumenthal's twin sister, Marni, was part of the state doubles championship team in the fall.

"Max had to win to keep up with the family tradition," Rams coach Jack Ladden said. "Marni has three gold medals and this is Max's first so he was really happy.

"Max and Sam have been doubles partners for three years now. They were dominant in the tournament, overpowering everybody. They both are tremendous at the net and each has a great serve."

Furr won his showdown with Conestoga's Kevin Wang, 6-4, 6-4, and avenged the 6-3, 7-5 loss he suffered against Wang in the District 1 final. Both players are juniors.

Neshaminy's Alex Fioravante won the third-place match, 5-7, 6-2, 6-1, over North Penn's Mike Buxbaum.

Radnor seniors Zhong and Studner knocked off Mario Nicolia and Chad Walbridge of Erie Cathedral Prep, 6-4, 6-3, the gold-medal match. Wissahickon's Andres Prince and Ricardo Prince placed third.

The results

Class AAA singles semifinals: Kevin Wang, Conestoga, def. Alex Fioravante, Neshaminy, 6-4, 5-7, 6-0; Michael Furr, Unionville, def. Mike Buxbaum, North Penn, 6-2, 6-1.

Class AAA singles final: Furr def. Wang, 6-4, 6-4.

Class AAA singles third place: Fioravante def. Buxbaum, 5-7, 6-2, 6-1.

Class AAA doubles semifinals: Andrew Zhong and Gavin Studner, Radnor, def. Andrew Grossman and Alex Grossman, Cumberland Valley, 6-4, 6-1; Mario Nicolia and Chad Walbridge, Cathedral Prep, def. Ricardo Prince and Andres Prince, Wissahickon, 6-3, 6-4.

Class AAA doubles final: Zhong and Studner def. Nicolia and Walbridge, 6-4, 6-3.

Class AAA doubles third place: A. Prince and R. Prince def. Grossman and Grossman, 5-7, 7-5, 6-4.

Class AA singles semifinals: D.J. Goldblum, Winchester Thurston, def. Evan Andrews, York Suburban, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3; Doug Caplan, Harrisburg Academy, def. Corey Runyan, Hickory, 6-0, 6-0.

Class AA singles final: Caplan def. Goldblum, 6-3, 4-6, 7-5.

Class AA singles third place: Andrews def. Runyan, 6-4, 6-2.

Class AA doubles semifinals: Sam Borowsky and Max Blumenthal, Harriton, def. Ryan Bair and Ryan Duschi, Lancaster Catholic, 6-2, 6-2; Jimmy Fitzgibbon and Ryan Rothman, Fairview, def. Patrick Moran and Eric Ebersole, Donegal, 6-4, 4-6, 7-5.

Class AA doubles final: Borowsky and Blumenthal def. Fitzgibbon and Rothman, 6-1, 6-3.

Class AA doubles third place: Moran and Ebersole def. Bair and Duschi, 6-3, 6-1.