South Fayette netter wins WPIAL title
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Jacob Patterson hustles to reach the ball during WPIAL Class 3A tennis championship action. The South Fayette junior defeated Colin Gramley, 7-5, 6-3, to win the singles title.
By Eleanor Bailey/Almanac Sports Editor/ebailey@thealmanac.net
South Fayette’s Jacob Patterson was crowned the WPIAL Class 3A singles tennis champion by virtue of a 7-5, 6-3 victory over Colin Gramley from Shady Side Academy in the finals played at North Allegheny High School.
Eleanor Bailey/the Almanac
Jacob Patterson returns a forehand during WPIAL Class 3A singles championship action. The South Fayette junior defeated Colin Gramley from Shady Side Academy, 7-5, 6-3, to win the title.
WEXFORD – Jacob Patterson can count on one thing when he competes in championship tennis matches.
“There’s a lot of nerves,” said the South Fayette junior.
Patterson tamed the jitters as well as Colin Gramley from Shady Side Academy, 7-5, 6-3, and won the WPIAL Class 3A singles title.
As a freshman, Patterson finished fourth in the consolation match and did not earn a berth in the PIAA championships. This year, as the first-place finisher, he is automatically qualified for the state tournament set for May 28-29 in Hershey.
“It’s definitely big to win this,” Patterson said. “Two years ago, I was fourth place and lost in the third set and that was when they took three to states. That was devastating. So it’s nice to go from fourth to first.”
Patterson looked as if he would cruise to the title. He opened up a 5-1 lead in the first set before Gramley rallied to tie it, 5-5.
“I had to focus on what I was doing wrong and really rebound,” Patterson said.
“I think I was going for too much and got nervous because it was the finals.
“I tried to keep the ball on the court because he seemed to be making more of the mistakes if I was putting pressure on him.”
In the second set, the pressure mounted with each serve. Though Patterson edging ahead, 4-3, he fell behind, 40-5, in the eighth game. However, he rebounded to force deuce then broke Gramley with well-place shots. Patterson then held service for the win, 6-3.
“He was about to win that game. So that was the turning point,” Patterson said.
“It felt good to put it away because quite honestly, if it had gone to 5-4, he would have won the next game with the way he was serving. It was almost impossible (to break him) but he seemed to crack in that game.”
Had the match gone to a third set, Patterson admitted he would have had to “really battle” for the title. But he relied on his patience as well as a combination of nutrients he had stuffed in his tennis bag.
On court switches between games, Patterson munched on a banana and consumed bottles of electrolyte solutions to maintain hydration.
“Sometimes you can’t even taste (the banana) because you are so focused but you know, under these conditions, it’s important to stay hydrated, stay calm and just take your time. That was big for me today,” he said.
Patterson made quick work of his first round opponents. He dispatched Brandon McEwen from North Hills, 10-1, and Deniz Finkel from Allderdice, 10-0. In the semifinals, he was winning, 6-3, 4-0, before Adeel Pracha from Shady Side Academy defaulted.