Signal Mountain junior tennis player Ananya Panicker doesn’t lack experience in the state tournament.
Throughout her high school career on the court, Panicker has been part of a program that advanced to state in the girls’ team tourney at the TSSAA Spring Fling while also qualifying individually each season in the girls’ singles draw. As a freshman, that resulted in her winning the Class A championship, while she fell just short in last year’s singles final.
For the third straight season, she’ll be playing for the individual title after a pair of straight-sets wins Thursday at the Champions Club, and she’ll face White House’s Isabella Ramirez at 11 a.m. Friday.
“I think I’m getting used to the pressure a bit more,” said Panicker, who improved to 7-1 in singles across three state tournaments with a 6-1, 6-0 quarterfinal win against Lakeland Prep junior Jenna Cowell before beating Murfreesboro Central senior Ci Ci Schultz 6-2, 6-2 in the semifinals. “It’s just a normal thing now. I think I could have played better today, but I think I had control.
“I’m OK. I’m not overjoyed, but I’m OK. I want to improve tomorrow, to play like I just don’t care. I want to be totally loose.”