Her team may have fallen short of a tennis state title, but Hilton Head High’s Emily Ruckno is two victories away from earning one of her own.
The Seahawk junior standout cruised her way through the first three rounds of the SCHSL 4A/5A state singles tournament Monday at the Florence Tennis Center to secure All-State honors and advance to the semifinals of the main draw.
Ruckno was nearly flawless in her first of three matches on the day, dominating South Aiken’s Sara Porcha-Konjikusia (6-0, 6-1). She was tested early in the second round against Fort Mill’s Ananya Pallath, but the Seahawk finished strong to pull out another straight-set victory (6-4, 6-2). Ruckno put the exclamation on a tremendous day in her quarterfinal matchup, blazing past Katherine Bauer of Spartanburg (6-0, 6-1) to earn a semifinal berth and All-State status for the third consecutive year.
Ruckno will face Conway’s Anna Claire Roof at 9 a.m. on Tuesday for a spot in the state championship match.
By Wes Kerr
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