Photo courtesy of Alisha Wolf
By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor
Rising tennis star Alexandra “Lexi” Wolf had a busy summer, traveling around the country to compete against the best players and trying to win a bronze, silver or gold ball.
Wolf achieved her goal last weekend at the Level 1 National Doubles Championships in Orlando, Florida, with a silver ball in the Girls 18s division, despite turning 16 only two weeks ago. She and her partner Kristina Nordikyan of Panorama City were the only unseeded duo to advance beyond the quarterfinals.
In the round of 32, Wolf and Nordikyan upset sixth-seeded Saige Severance of South Carolina and Paula Dougherty of North Carolina, 6-2, 6-4. In the round of 16, they outlasted South Carolina pair Ellasyn Deford and Reese Frank, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.
In the quarterfinals, they beat the Texas duo of Ella Brownback and Lani Brotman, 7-6 (5), 6-3. In the semifinals, Wolf and Nordikyan upset third-seeded Neha Guru of Texas and Clara Owen of Ohio, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2.
In the finals, they lost to the No. 4 tandem of Kady Tannenbaum of New York and Linda Ziets-Segura of Florida, 6-1, 6-3.
In addition to her silver ball, Wolf competed in her first International Tennis Federation event at the Junkanoo Bowl in Nassau, Bahamas, making it to the semifinals in singles and capturing the doubles title with partner Natalie Oliver of Maryland. They upset top-seeded Kaya Baker of South Carolina and Gianna Graci of Florida, 6-4, 6-3, in the final.
A five-star recruit, Wolf is currently ranked 38th nationally in the Girls 16s by the USTA and she is climbing into the Top 100 in the Girls 18s. Now a sophomore at Marymount High, she lives in the Riviera, went to Corpus Christi School, and trains at Rustic Canyon and Palisades Tennis Center.
In January, Wolf won the Girls 18-and-under singles title at the Level 3 Henry Talbert Junior Tennis Championships in Palm Desert.
This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
