Lillith Dunn
eSomethin staff
After a long battle against many tough opponents, the doubles tennis team of Penelope Giammarco and Madi Watkins reached the quarterfinals of the OHSAA Girls Tennis State Tournament.
Despite both playing singles, the duo was created months before the Sectionals Tournament, which started on October 9.
According to Coach Patrick Giammarco, “We didn’t know for sure if it [the two being doubles partners] was going to happen, but once the decision was made, we started practicing on Sundays for a couple of hours each week.”
Penelope Giammarco, a junior, has had a successful run as Perrysburg’s first singles player, a spot she has held since her freshman year. She helped bring the Girls Tennis team to victory in the 2023 NLL tournament. She also assisted in the runner-up spot in the 2024 NLL’s with a third overall place finish.
Penelope Giammarco placed 1st Team in All NLLs, a spot which is chosen by coaches of other teams in the league. When looking back on her season, Penelope Giammarco commented on how much she improved from freshman to junior year, especially with her mentality and mindset.
Watkins, who is also a junior, has had similar success in the past. While this is her first season as a singles player, Watkins had a successful run as a member of Perrysburg’s first doubles team. She also would help Perrysburg achieve victory in the 2023 NLL tournament, and would place second overall in the 2024 NLL’s.
Watkins, like her partner, would also place 1st Team in All NLL’s. She is incredibly proud of her season, remarking, “having one loss in NLL is good for a first time singles starter”.
The duo dominated the sectional and district tournaments, placing 1st and 2nd respectively.
In the district tournament, the doubles pair would defeat Clay’s Haynes/Mentzer (6-0 6-0), Anthony Wayne’s Rettig/Szul (6-2 6-4), and Ashland’s Haynes/Miller (6-4 6-1). They would only lose to the Anthony Wayne pair of Boyd/Langenderfer in a 1-6 2-6 match.
Watkins greatly enjoyed the experience, commenting on how fun it was. Penelope Giammarco agreed, saying,“I love playing new people. . . . It gets old playing the same people.”
During states, the duo would go on to defeat Medina Highland’s Haynes/Schlak 6-4 6-1. According to Patrick
Giammarco said, “We had found some old video of both players and based on what we saw, formulated a game plan for that match. . . . Turns out our assumptions were correct and we were able to execute our plan well enough to get the win 6-4 6-1.”
Watkins prepares to serve as she tosses the ball in the air. The duo was coming off of a succinct win against Anthony Wayne, with only one match left in order to progress to States.
“A common strategy that me and Penelope have is hand signal which is very important in doubles play as it sets up the net person. Here I am going for an out wide serve to hopefully allow my partner to poach at the net,” Watkins explained.
After progressing to the quarter finals, the two would fall to Upper Arlington’s Hawley/Roth in a tough 2-6 2-6 match.
Regardless of the outcome, both greatly enjoyed the chance to play in States. “It was really cool seeing other teams there,” Watkins stated. She added that getting to play the top 16 doubles teams in the state was good competition. Penelope Giammarco shared similar sentiments.
The duo’s coaches are incredibly proud of their accomplishments.
“It has been a pleasure to coach them since they started high school. They have both matured so much,” Coach Kelly Carter remarked. She went on to explain that what makes Watkins and Penelope Giammarco so strong together is their of their incredible communication and support of each other.
Patrick Giammarco agreed, saying, “I think the biggest aspect which made them such a good doubles team was their communication. In doubles, good communication is critical, and you can absolutely tell when [doubles] teams don’t have it.”
Both coaches also agreed that the two’s greatest strengths on the court are their powerful serves. Off the court, Watkins and Penelope Giammarco “both exemplify outstanding character” according to Carter.
Other sports stories on eSomethin:
- Girls Tennis Doubles Team Smashes Their Way Into State Tournament
- Perrysburg Yellow Jackets Will Play The Three-Time State Champions St. Edward Eagles Week 3 Of The Playoffs
- The Perrysburg Yellow Jackets face off against the Berea-Midpark Titans in round 2 of the OHSAA football playoffs
- The need to cut weight has hidden pressures
- The Perrysburg Yellow Jackets are ready to play “THE GAME”
