tennis

* What: New York State Public High School Athletic Association championship

* When: 9 a.m., Saturday. The tournament continues Sunday and Monday. Seedings will be announced Friday.

* Where: Eastside Racquet Club in Manlius.

* Who: Sisters Lucy and Manè Mehrabyan of Ithaca High will compete for the singles championship. Also representing Section 4 are Susquehanna Valley's Mackenzie Rounds in singles, and the doubles teams of Abby Braiman and Anna Wicks of Horseheads, Bryn Loomis and Sophie Stewart of Norwich and Kelsey Roach and Alexis Belardinelli of Union-Endicott.

* Outlook: This is Lucy Mehrabyan's sixth straight trip to the state tournament and she has advanced to the Round of 16 the past two years. She enters the state tournament with a 19-0 record.

"(Lucy) is hoping she can go further this year," Ithaca coach Arthur Falkson said. "She's confident she can compete against anyone. She's not concerned about who she's going to play. She's focused on doing her best and she feels as if she can beat anybody in the tournament."

Falkson also said the Long Island section is traditionally one of the strongest tennis sections in the country. He also said that Lucy's forehand is "probably comparable to anybody's in the tournament."

Saturday's tournament will be Manè Mehrabyan's first as a singles player. She qualified in doubles last year, and heads into the tournament with a 17-2 record. Her only two losses are to her sister.

"It's going to be a good experience for her just making and getting to compete against a higher level of competition," Falkson said. "She'll have to make sure her footwork is good to keep up against the better players.

* Notes: For players defeated in the first round, there is a consolation bracket so everyone is guaranteed at least two matches. ... Hauppauge High School senior Jennifer Kellner won the singles tournament last year.