SUNDAY, JUNE 8, 2014 | THE FREDERICK NEWS-POST | C-5 SPORTS ALL-AREA BOYS TENNIS

Player of the Year SAMUEL SAFDARI URBANA Sophomore ■ Stepped into the No. 1 singles role at Urbana with great success, placing third at the state tournament. ■ After a challenging regular season, played his best tennis at the right time to win county and regional titles, marking the third straight year an Urbana player has won the county championship. ■ Rolled through the first two rounds of the state tournament without dropping a set before falling in the semifinals and then going on to win the conso- lation match in straight sets.

FIRST TEAM

JOSH CHIN THOMAS DOLAN ARCHIT GUPTA TAIKI HAUGEN NATHAN HOMON TYLER HOMON JUNIOR SENIOR SENIOR SENIOR JUNIOR JUNIOR OAKDALE OAKDALE URBANA MIDDLETOWN TUSCARORA URBANA ■ Advanced to the doubles final ■ Advanced to the doubles final of ■ Reached the state tournament ■ Reached the state semifinals ■ After two successful seasons ■ Stepped into a singles role after of the county tournament with the county tournament with partner in doubles with partner Etienne in mixed doubles with partner partnering with twin brother Tyler, playing two seasons of doubles with partner Thomas Dolan. Josh Chin. Utiger after placing second in the Megan Robertson after winning reached the state final in doubles twin brother Nathan and placed third regional tournament. county and regional titles in the with new partner Luke Shuck. in the county and regional tourna- event. ments.

GRAYSON SELBY LUKE SHUCK ETIENNE UTIGER SOPHOMORE FRESHMAN JUNIOR HONORABLE TUSCARORA TUSCARORA URBANA MENTION ■ In his first season at Tuscarora, ■ In his first season at Tuscarora, ■ Reached the state tournament advanced through the regular sea- advanced to state doubles final with in doubles with partner Archit Brunswick—Cameron Cooley, Jacob Franzak son with an unbeaten record before partner Nathan Homon after winning Gupta after placing second in the Catoctin—Jorden Hahn, Dawson Norris, Aaron Scalese, placing second at counties and county and regional titles in the event. regional tournament. Sam Swanson regionals to reach states. Oakdale—Kevin Emerich, Frank DeRose Linganore—Harrison Rasmussen, Andrew Tran Tuscarora—Jacob Brittain, Kevin Mancao, Andrew Mandich, Matt Mifsud Urbana—Brady Collins, Amil Sahai, Aditya Yadau, Eric Yang, Daniel Yoon Walkersville—Thomas Anderson, Sam Friedman, Mark Guyton

FRENCH OPEN Sharapova grinds past Halep for second title Russian wins fifth career Grand Slam title in first three-set final at Roland Garros in 13 years

PARIS (AP) — Nothing came all. Remarkably, Sharapova owns consecutive clay three-setters, on it. I just took it upon myself to easily for Maria Sharapova in the twice as many from Paris as the including four in a row this week. make myself better on it.” French Open final. one each she won at Wimbledon “It says that she’s very fit. It Plus, Sharapova had an opera- Serves hit by her surgically in 2004, the U.S. Open in 2006 and says that she’s very determined,” tion on her right shoulder, the repaired shoulder often missed the Australian Open in 2008. said Sven Groenefeld, Sharapo- one she uses to swing her racket, the mark, resulting in 12 double- “If somebody had told me ... at va’s coach. “And it says that she in October 2008. That joint trou- faults. Shots that would be win- some stage in my career, that I’d never gives up.” bled the Russian again in 2013, ners against most opponents have more Roland Garros titles Sharapova broke into a huge when she played one match from were retrieved by Simona Halep than any other Grand Slam, I’d smile while hoisting the trophy July to December. and sent right back. Leads that probably go get drunk,” Sharapo- overhead, then shaking it with She now travels with a physio- usually hold up vanished in a va said with a chuckle. “Or tell both hands and scanning a stadi- therapist, Jerome Bianchi, and blink. On a muggy afternoon, them to get drunk. One or the um that, improbably, has become told him during the post-match with the temperature in the high other.” hers. This was her third final in a ceremony, “Thank you for keep- 70s (20s Celsius), points were The 3-hour, 2-minute tangle row in Paris: She won the 2012 ing me healthy.” lung-searing struggles. featured too many momentum title to complete a career Grand This was the ninth Grand Sharapova was up to the task. swings to count, filled with Slam, then lost last year to Sere- Slam final for the No. 7-seeded In an entertaining and undulat- lengthy baseline exchanges, ter- na Williams, who bowed out in Sharapova, and the first for ing championship match — the rific defense and shotmaking by the second round this time. Halep, a 22-year-old Romanian first women’s final at Roland Gar- both women. Sharapova is 20-1 the last seeded fourth. Supported by a ros in 13 years to go three sets — Not bad for someone who three years at Roland Garros — dozen folks in her guest box wear- Sharapova showed that she’s as once famously described herself which is nothing compared to ing red T-shirts saying “Allez tough as they come, particularly as feeling like a “cow on ice” Rafael Nadal’s 65-1 career French Simona,” and fans that chanted on the red clay that used to flum- when it came to playing on clay, a Open mark heading into today’s her first name, Halep acquitted mox her. She edged Halep 6-4, 6-7 slow, demanding surface that final against Novak Djokovic but herself well, showing off the (5), 6-4 Saturday to win a second requires excellent footwork. Now certainly quite impressive. scrambling baseline style that Associated Press French Open title in three years. Sharapova knows how to move “You’re not just born being a carried her to six straight-set “This is the toughest Grand on clay and can stretch points natural clay-court player. OK, wins until Saturday. Maria Sharapova holds her trophy after winning the Slam final I’ve ever played,” when needed. Since the start of maybe if you’re Nadal. But cer- “I will not forget this match,” French Open against Simona Halep, 6-4, 6-7, 6-4, at Sharapova said. 2012, Sharapova is 54-4 with seven tainly not me,” Sharapova said. “I said Halep, who wiped away tears Roland Garros in Paris on Saturday. It is her fifth major trophy in titles on clay. She’s also won 20 didn’t grow up on it; didn’t play afterward.