Dasha Perfiliev & Ellie Ross celebrate after the duo won their second-straight county doubles title
Sha Wins Nassau Singles Title; Perfiliev, Ross Repeat as Doubles Champions
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eading into this season, Isabella Sha was motivated to get back to the Nassau County Individual Championships, and win one more match than she did last season. The Friends Academy junior, who lost in the county final in a three-set championship last season, did just that, as she defeated Nicolette Loeffler of Cold Spring Harbor 6-4, 6-1 at Eisenhower Park. “This was my goal, just to get back to this point, and it feels great to be able to do it,” said Sha. “It definitely feels surreal. I was here last year and a lost a tough match, so to come out here against some great competition and win it feels great.” Sha and Loeffler battled hard in the opening set, with the two splitting breaks of serve in the early games, and the set would then remain on serve until Loeffler served to stay in it at 4-5. Sha was able to secure the break to take the opener 6-4, and seize control of the match. In the second set, Sha made a conscience effort to be consistent yet aggressive when the opportunity presented itself. “She was really consistent,” said Sha. “So in the second, I tried to get one more ball back into the court than her, and then be aggressive. It worked out.” Friends Academy head coach Owen Kassimir added: “Isabella wasn’t moving as well as she normally does in that first set, so I just told her to go for her shots and try to move Nicolette around the court.” Sha will now look to build on this victory when she heads 20
to the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Championships in Schenectady, an event that was cancelled last season due to the pandemic. “I don’t have any expectations for states,” she said. “I’ve never Isabella Sha of Friends Academy tracks down a been before, so I forehand during the 2021 Nassau County Girls' am just going to Singles Championship take it one match at a time and see what happens.” Loeffler, in addition to third-place winner Nyla Gershfeld of Hewlett, and fourth-place winner Angel Walia of Herricks, also earned All-New York State honors. In the doubles final, Port Washington’s Dasha Perfiliev & Ellie Ross were seeking to become the first doubles duo to repeat as Nassau County champions since Oyster Bay’s Courtney Kowalsky & Celeste Matute did so in 2014-2015. “We were definitely motivated to come back this year,” said
Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2021 • LITennisMag.com
