Sidwell Friends
Sophomores Akshay Mirmira and Boning Wang won the Boys 16 & Under Doubles Title at the prestigious Easter Bowl Tennis Championships.
Over spring break, sophomore Sidwell Boys Varsity Tennis Players Akshay Mirmira and Boning Wang, won the Boys 16 & Under Doubles Title at the Easter Bowl Tennis Championships — a US Tennis Association (USTA) L1 National Championship level event.
The two played at the highest level of youth tennis against the best competition in the country, according to the USTA. The tournament took place in Indian Wells, Calif., at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.
The Easter Bowl Tennis Championships was on hard court with a single elimination draw type and a draw limit of 32 pairs. The players were selected top-down by ranking. While some teams in the tournament were seeded, Mirmira and Wang competed as unseeded pair.
Mirmira and Wang played their first match at 5:30 pm on March 25 against Colin Cerminara and Rudr Malayya, winning the first set 6-2 and the second 7-5.
After four consecutive wins, the duo reached the final against Nicolas Pedraza and Erik Schinnerer, who were seeded between 5-8 in the tournament. The match was played on March 30 at 2:00 pm. The Quakers got off to a strong start, winning the first set 6-3. They then dropped the second set 7-5 but came back to win the championship 6-4.
According to Mirmira, the tournament was a great representation of his work on the court, especially given the competition he faced in his opponents. Because of the skill of their opponents, the two took each match and each game of the matches step by step, explained Wang.
While Wang admits that the two sometimes struggled with composure, he is proud of their ability to perform very well in a prestigious tournament with “lots at stake.”
Wang added that the entire experience was “fun and exciting,” but stressed how winning nationals was not only athletically rewarding, but also a great memory with Mirmira, who he describes as one of his best friends.
Mirmira and Wang will continue to compete for the Sidwell Friends Boys Varsity Tennis Team as their spring season continues, with both of them hoping to extend the program’s current record of 10-1.