Tigers hammer Highlanders in WPIAL First Round
by: Boys Tennis Contributor
The top-seeded North Allegheny boys’ tennis team opened the 2025 WPIAL playoffs the same way they played most of the season, by winning in dominant fashion with a 5-0 thrashing of visiting Baldwin at the North Allegheny High School courts on Monday afternoon.
Senior standout Sri Thirumala staked the Tigers to a quick 1-0 lead by dismantling Baldwin’s Hayden Swanson, 6-0, 6-0. The stunningly quick victory while losing just a handful of points was enough to earn Thirumala “Man of the Match” honors. The 1st doubles team of senior Nick Scheuring and junior Adhav Ramadas immediately doubled the lead while also shutting out their opponents, 6-0, 6-0. The clinching point came at 2nd doubles where the all-sophomore combination of Shivum Telang and Ronit Ginde swept the doubles team from Baldwin, 6-0, 6-0.
With victory assured, attention turned to the top two singles players. Junior Evan Kaufman made quick work of Carter Smeal at 2nd singles, 6-0, 6-0. The only thing left to be decided was if it would be a clean sweep. Sophomore sensation Advaita Sircar made sure of that by winning a rather vociferous match in the top slot, 6-0, 6-0. It was the ninth shutout of the season and the second “clean sheet” of the year as the Tigers did not drop a single game.
The win is North Allegheny’s 12th in a row to improve to 13-1 on the season. The Tigers advance to the WPIAL Quarterfinals where they will take on eighth-seeded Franklin Regional on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. from the North Allegheny High School courts. The Panthers defeated Peters Township, 3-2, in the WPIAL First Round.
Boys Tennis Summary vs. Baldwin, 4-28-25
| MATCH SUMMARY | NORTH ALLEGHENY 5 - BALDWIN 0 | |
|---|---|---|
| SINGLES | ||
| #1 | Advaita Sircar (NA) def. Nikitia Petruk (BALD) | 6-0, 6-0 |
| #2 | Evan Kaufman (NA) def. Carter Smeal (BALD) | 6-0, 6-0 |
| #3 | Sri Thirumala (NA) def. Hayden Swanson (BALD) | 6-0, 6-0 |
| DOUBLES | ||
| #1 | Adhav Ramadas/Nick Scheuring (NA) def. Brandon Esek/Tyler Hartun (BALD) | 6-0, 6-0 |
| #2 | Ronit Ginde/Shivum Telang (NA) def. Samuel Vogel/Kelson Kleinhampl (BALD) | 6-0, 6-0 |
