GOSHEN, N.Y. —Kingston High’s Lila Shih Freeman reached the semifinals of the Orange County Interscholastic Athletic Association girls tennis tournament with a pair of victories Thursday.
The freshman held off Cornwall’s Sharali Patel 7-,5 6-4 in the quarterfinals and earn Friday’s return trip to the Match Point Tennis Complex.
Freeman will face Washingtonville ace Jalynn Balleste — the defending OCIAA and Section 9 champion — in the semis. Balleste has beaten Freeman each of the four times they’ve met over the past two year.
Regardless of Friday’s result, with her second-round 6-0, 6-0 win over Monticello’s Lori Edwards in the round of 16 Freeman qualified for next week’s Section 9 Tournament.
The top three finishers in that Oct. 18-19 tournamen advance to the New York State Public High School Athletic Association tournament.
Kingston coach Bill Constant said he’s still trying to figure out how to beat Balleste.
“I don’t think we can hit as hard,” Constant said. “Her serve is hard, she moves on the court pretty well. She isn’t one of those kids that’s stationary.
“She’s good, the best in the league.”
As an eighth-grader in 2017, Freeman became the first Kingston girls tennis player to reach the state meet in 21 years.
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