For the first time in years the sun shined and the temperature rose as County Championships got underway at Annapolis High School on Tuesday.  South River made a strong showing in the intitial two rounds and will return seven of its nine entries on Day 2.

Sophomore Luisa Silva got the day started in girls' singles with an opening round win over Jen Beatty of Chesapeake, 8-2.  Silva advanced to the Round of 16 where she met #2 Marissa Balleza of Severna Park.  Silva put up a fight but could not get by Balleza and exited the tournament.

Sophomore Adam Russell headed to Court Nine where he took on Ian Mc Guirk of Glen Burnie in a match that was closer than the indicated score.  Russell bombed serves and hit crisp groundstrokes, but it was Mc Guirk who answered everything and moved on.

Senior Ryan Fleming received a bye as the 7th seed, and got things rolling against Eric Bailey of Chesapeake.  The two had met in the regular season and a scrimmage.  After many long, trying points, it wa Fleming who won, 8-3.  He has advanced to the Quarterfinals where he will meet the #2 seed, Grant Hudson of Broadneck, another opponent he has seen this season.

The boys' doubles team of Sophomores Alex Fagan and Ivan Pintado made quick work of Berman and Semick from Annapolis as the cruised to an 8-1 victory.  They advanced to the Round of 16 today where they will take on the #4 team from Northeast.

Josh Lobo and Liam O'Brien were victorious in the other boys' doubles slot as they pasted Glen Burnie 8-1 and tuned up for today's Round of 16 match.  The duo will take on 7th seeded Chesapeake, a team Lobo has already seen twice this year.

Back at girls' singles it was #1 seed Sophomore Xiaosong Shang who spent a short time on court on day one.  After receiving a first round bye, Shang cruised to an 8-0 victory over Robin Belton from Old Mill.  Shang advances to the Quarterfinals today, where she will meet eighth seeded Erika Pokodner of Arundel.

After receiving a first round bye as the #3 seed, the girls' doubles team of Junior Sam Simmons and Sophomore Mary Duggan were triumphant in an 8-1 victory over Bromante and Gibbons from Arundel.  They advanced to today's Quarterfinals where they will face off against 6th seeded Wilson and Gayet from Severna Park.

In the other girls' doubles action, #5 seed Sophomore Hannah Parks and Freshman Katie Simmons moved quickly to an 8-1 victory over Onyilofor and Emerson of Old Mill, their second victory of the same tandem in as many weeks.  Parks and Simmons move to today's Quarterfinals where they will meet the 4th seeded Trimpin sisters from Severna Park.

There was no mixed doubles action on Day One.

On day two, the boys' doubles will play one more round of 8-game pro sets before moving on to best two out of three sets.  All other matches will begin playing two out of three sets today.