Junior Nikita Petruk won his section singles semifinal match on Thursday, but he could not play in the finals because of a wrist injury.
“I tripped over my left leg and fell down on my right wrist, making it hard to finish the match,” Petruk said.
Yet he held on for the victory in that semifinal. The scores were 3-6, 6-4, and 7-6, with a tiebreaker ending at 10-5.
“I think it was the best match I have played all season, relying on my skill to get me through,” Petruk said.
Last year, Petruk won the North Allegheny singles tournament. Going into this one, he knew what skills to focus on. He said he goes into each match with a confident and ambitious attitude to keep winning.
“I was able to place my serves well and keep the rallies going,” Petruk said.
Petruk was supposed to play against a Shady Side Academy opponent in the finals, but he could not play because of the injury.
“There was no stress from anyone that I could not play, because I was already able to make it this far,” Petruk said.
