HARRISON - As Meela Gupta was being interviewed and tugged in every which direction to pose for photographs, Westlake coach Irina Zaretsky joked that her pupil would soon become "Instagram famous."
There was a bit of irony in that, considering Gupta is too young to create a legitimate social media account. And that, of course, made the scene all the more impressive.
The 12-year-old, with guile and maturity belying her age, conquered a field of accomplished and more experienced players, capturing the Section 1 girls tennis singles championship.
"There were some tough matches, and my opponents played well, but I found a way to keep pushing," the Westlake Middle School eighth-grader said on Oct. 14. "It's pretty cool, competing in this for the first time and winning. I'm really proud of myself."
As were her coaches, parents and friends in attendance, whom she giddily rushed to greet with hugs afterwards.
Gupta headlines a cadre of local standouts who advanced to the state tournament, which runs Oct. 26-28 at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens.
She'll be joined in the singles bracket by Scarsdale's Isabel Lin, Savannah Minter (Ursuline) and Katherine Shil of Byram Hills. The doubles qualifiers are all Horace Greeley teammates, led by Daniella Rosenblitt and Mia Long, who won the title. They'll be accompanied by Sophia Wang and Anya Gunnar, and Sophia Knapp and Emma Knapp.
"She'll do great and have fun there," Zaretsky said of Gupta, who turns 13 in December. "She's the kind of person who won't get too nervous or overwhelmed."
Gupta utilized an excellent backhand and remarkable precision in beating Lin, 6-1, 7-5, in the final at Harrison High School. Lin, a senior seeded third, was the sectional runner-up last fall and has competed in the state tournament. But the fourth-seeded youngster raised eyebrows with her accuracy, winning long volleys with shots dropped just inside the boundaries.
That consistency, Gupta said with a shrug, is just a product of "a lot of reps."
"I thought I had a chance to do well," she said of her confidence entering the tournament. "There were some really good girls in the draw, but we just had to keep coming up with new strategies and keep fighting."
She got into tennis at age 7 and soon grew to love it, dedicating herself and even enjoying practice. Zaretsky met her two years ago, the coach blown away by Gupta's performance against her son in a youth tournament.
"I wanted her on the team right then," Zaretsky said with a grin. "She has the talent and a good head on her shoulders, so the sky is the limit."
Motivated by tragedy, Rosenblit and Long shine
It was one of the most joyful and fulfilling experiences of their lives, Daniella Rosenblit teaming with her older sister Michelle to win the state doubles championship, and sharing those moments with a family that brimmed with pride.
But glee became grief days later when their father died unexpectedly, succumbing to complications from a blood disorder.
"It was painful, and it was really difficult for me at first," Daniella said. "But over time, I've let that turn into motivation. It makes me want to work harder and be better in everything I do. He's in my thoughts every time I step on the court."
Victor Rosenblit loved tennis, and he would've been delighted to see his daughter again hoisting a championship plaque.
Daniella, now a senior, teamed with Mia Long to keep the Section 1 doubles title within the Greeley community. Within the Rosenblit family, too. Michelle won the championship in 2024 with a different partner, then paired with Daniella to accomplish it again last fall. So this is a by-relation three-peat.
"It's exciting, especially because we've only been playing together for a couple weeks," said Long, the Quakers No. 1 singles player. Daniella Rosenblit plays second singles. "We've become good friends and it only took playing together a couple times before we realized our games fit together."
They defeated schoolmates Sophia Wang and Anya Gunnar, 6-0, 6-1, in the final.
"Mia has a great first serve, a really good net game, and she's consistent," Daniella said. "My sister had similar strengths, so I think that's why the pairing works well."
The two won each of their matches in straight sets, never dropping more than a point, so the talent and chemistry are undeniable. Is another state title a possibility?
"That's the goal," Daniella said. "It's a motivating factor, but it's not stressful."
Stephen Haynes covers sports for The Journal News/lohud.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Meela Gupta, Horace Greeley duo win Section 1 girls tennis titles