Number one seed Chitra Wudali of Southwest continued her city title collection with the singles title on Wednesday night at Roosevelt. Last year Wudali was part of a doubles team from Southwest to win the title. This phenomenon does not happen often. It is an exclusive club–only one other member. The Minneapolis tournament goes back to at least 1975 and there was only one other doubles to singles winner—-Linda Wilcox of Roosevelt won the doubles title in 1976 and then took the singles title in 1978.
Wudali is the sixteenth Laker to win a city conference singles title. Grace won it for Southwest last season. This is Southwest’s third singles title in the last four tournaments going back to 2019 (no tournament in the pandemic year of 2020).
The action started today at 4:30 in the Jack Wells Gymnasium. Each of the seven Minneapolis schools sent two players, with Roosevelt and Henry, the first and second place teams, sending three.
Wudali won the first three matches in two sets rather quickly. The first three sets she played she held her opponents to single digits. It was the title match against number two seed Amelia Larson that went the distance. After taking the first set 21-15, Wudali’s run game dried up in the second set as Larson held her to zero. Larson, who finished second last season, came up with 15 winners in the second set and sided out six of Wudali’s eleven service attempts. Larson’s path to the championship was a bit longer—-she had one previous three setter in the quarterfinals against Shayla Thao of Henry and she also had two sets in the seven leading up to the title game that went to extra points. That may have been a factor in the third set. Wudali, after a six stroke smash tied the set at three each went on an epic run of 14 points. Of those 14 points six came on the third stroke as she moved a tired Larson to the net and then to the back line (or vice versa).
SINGLES
FIRST ROUND
Chitra Wudali, Southwest1 def Toni Baker, N2 21-5, 21-5
McKinley Helland, Washburn1 def Sophia LaBrie, Roosevelt3 21-12, 21-10
Abi Martinez, Roosevelt2 def Farisa Wafiqa, South2 21-11, 21-15
Shamyra Melton, Henry1 def Paris Mejia Garcia, Edison2 21-4, 21-16
Ella Hendrickson, Roosevelt1 def Chouamon, Henry3 21-10, 21-10
Eva White, Southwest2 def Tilly Webster, North1 21-8, 21-7
Shayla Thao, Henry2 def Anna Chen, South1 21-18, 20-22, 21-10
Amelia Larson, Edison1 def Lily Brauer, Washburn2 23-21, 21-15
QUARTERFINALS
Chitra Wudali, Southwest1 def McKinley Helland, Washburn1 21-8, 21-16
Shamyra Melton, Henry1 def Abi Martinez, Roosevelt2 21-12, 21-12
Ella Hendrickson, Roosevelt1 def Eva White, Southwest2 21-14, 21-13
Amelia Larson, Edison1 def Shayla Thao, Henry2 21-14, 20-22, 21-10
SEMIFINALS
Chitra Wudali, Southwest1 def Shamyra Melton, Henry1 21-12, 21-15
Amelia Larson, Edison1 def Ella Hendrickson, Roosevelt1 21-14, 21-18
3RD PLACE
Ella Hendrickson, Roosevelt1 def Shamyra Melton, Henry1 21-15, 17-21, 21-16
CHAMPIONSHIP
Chitra Wudali, Southwest1 def Amelia Larson, Edison1 21-15, 15-21, 21-6
| Category | WUDALI | LARSON |
| Side out | 12/23-.522 | 10/24-.417 |
| Longest side out string | 3 | 3 |
| 3+ Runs | 3 | 5 |
| Longest point string | 15 | 4 |
| SERVING | ||
| First serve | 2 | 3 |
| First point | 2, 3 | |
| Service points | 32 | 17 |
| Serving % | 49/54 | 38/40 |
| Point generated off serve | .582 | .425 |
| POINTS | 55 | 40 |
| Points after 11 | 26 | 21 |
| Points after own errors | 8 | 8 |
| Winners after own errors | 3 | 5 |
| STROKES | 177 | 111 |
| Strokes per point | 3.218 | 2.775 |
| 5+ rallies (%) | 6-.109 | 6-.150 |
| 2- rallies (%) | 18-.327 | 20-.500 |
| WINNERS | 32 | 25 |
| Aces | 2 | 3 |
| Blocks | 2 | 0 |
| Clears | 6 | 5 |
| Drives | 3 | 7 |
| Drops | 6 | 5 |
| Soft drives | 7 | 3 |
| Smashes | 6 | 2 |
| Even Stroke Winners | 14 | 12 |
| 2nd Stroke Winners | 7 | 9 |
| Odd Stroke Winners | 18 | 13 |
| ERRORS | 14 | 23 |
| Deep | 1 | 3 |
| Net | 7 | 11 |
| Wide | 1 | 7 |
| Serve | 5 | 2 |
| Even stroke errors | 4 | 14 |
| 2nd stroke errors | 1 | 8 |
| Odd stroke errors | 13 | 9 |
| WINNER LOCATION | ||
| Left | 17 | 9 |
| Right | 15 | 14 |
| Largest Lead | 1, 15 | 7, 1 |
| W:E Ratio | ||
| Margin | 4.667 | |
| Set Point % | 2/2-1.000 | 1/3-.333 |
| Time | 22:46 |