Rye Neck’s tennis phenoms Ekim Buyuk and Diana King teamed up to take the Sectionals by storm and are heading to the State Championships in Albany this weekend.

  

 

By Melanie Cane

 

Rye Neck’s tennis phenoms Ekim Buyuk and Diana King teamed up to take the Sectionals by storm and are heading to the State Championships in Albany this weekend.

 

The Panther sophomores earned their place at States by beating a doubles tennis team from John Jay-East Fishkill 6-2, 6-2 in the Sectional consolation round on October 25.

 

Buyuk and King teamed up for a third straight year of post-season play; they were seeded first in the Conference 3 tournament at Harrison High School.

 

There were 23 other teams, but Buyuk and King did not drop a set. After winning that tournament, they advanced to Sectionals; they had a tough first round match against John Jay Cross River, but won in three sets.

 

They triumphed 6-2, 6-2 over a doubles pair from Horace Greeley in the quarterfinals. In the semis, they had a tough loss to the defending State Champion New Rochelle, (2-6, 6-4, 3-6), but went on to beat the John Jay-East Fishkill team to make States.

 

Buyuk was 12-1 playing first singles this season and improved to 37-1 for her Rye Neck career.

 

King was 12-1 at second singles and had some great wins this season, according to Coach Mark Canno.

 

Canno said this is the first Rye Neck doubles team to go to the States in at least 25 years. “I am so proud of all they have accomplished and they have a realistic chance to go far if not all the way at States,” he said.