So close
Belle Vernon’s Dusi finishes 2nd in PIAA singles
Jonathan Guth | Herald-Standard
HERSHEY — Players from District 2 have become Gabby Dusi’s “Kryponite.”
The Belle Vernon senior battled through the pain in the left side of her abdominal area to earn a spot in the final of the PIAA Class 2A Girls Singles Tennis Championship Saturday at the Hershey Racquet Club.
Dusi and Montrose junior Cara Evans had a spirited three-set match, which culminated in Evans earning a 6-2, 4-6, 6-1 for the championship.
The District 2 champion won her first three matches in straight sets, and only lost a total of seven games before facing Dusi, who also won her first round, quarterfinals and semifinal matches in straight sets.
Dusi, a senior who will continue her academic and tennis careers at Duquesne University, lost in last year’s final to another District 2 champion in Wyoming Seminary’s Ilana Rosenthal.
Rosenthal won her third-straight state title last season. Dusi was pleased with another runner-up finish in the state.
“I am still happy with the silver medal,” Dusi said. “It was nice to be able to earn back-to-back second-place finishes in the state tournament.”
Dusi’s injury occurred in the section tournament, as she had to medically forfeit out of the final before winning her third straight WPIAL singles title on Sept. 18 despite having to serve underhand in the third set.
Dusi was able to serve overhand in the state tournament, but admitted to discomfort in her opening match, and especially in the final, as the pain intensified as the match went into the third set.
“I don’t want to make any excuses, but obviously, I am still injured,” Dusi said. “I am happy I got the chance to play. It wasn’t so severe I couldn’t even come. Eventually, the injury started to weigh on me.”
After winning the first set, Evans built up an early lead in the second, but Dusi was able to rally to force a third-and-final set. Evans didn’t let Dusi get going in the final set, although Dusi was pleased with herself for getting back into the match.
“I was definitely missing some of my baseline shots down the line and finishing shots, so I just tried to be more consistent, have more margins and try to keep my service as consistent as it could be,” Dusi said.
Dusi earned her spot in the final with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Cathedral Prep’s Paige Patsy in the semifinals. Dusi defeated Patsy in last year’s final four, but it took three sets.
When Dusi started playing tennis, it was more of a leisure activity with her father, Steve, but once she began taking the sport seriously, the drive to be the best took over. Dusi has been playing competitively for roughly five years.
“We started playing for fun, and I was so late compared to everyone else, I didn’t ever expect to go this far,” Dusi said.
The Lady Leopards don’t have a tennis program, so Dusi has refined her game at the Upper St. Clair Development program under her personal coach, Jan Irwin.
Dusi hopes her success will help push Belle Vernon to add a tennis team.
“I hope Belle Vernon can get a tennis team,” Dusi said. “I think it would be nice for the kids, and I hope they can get that chance, but it’s hard with the availability of the courts in our area.”