Port Washington's Ellie Ross, Dasha Perfiliev fall in three sets in state doubles final
Port Washington’s Ellie Ross, left, and Dasha' Perfiliev, play Byram Hills in the NYSPHSAA Tennis Doubles Championship final in Schenectady, N.Y., Saturday, Oct. 29, 2022. Credit: Hans Pennink
SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – It was one moment of bravery that turned the key on a lifetime of memories for Port Washington seniors Ellie Ross and Dasha Perfiliev.
It was the dawn of their sophomore year when Ross summoned the courage to bring a concept to Perfiliev: the Vikings’ two top singles players should join forces and compete in the Nassau County individual championships as a doubles team. “She said ‘yes’ and the rest is history,” Ross said on Friday after a quarterfinal victory here at the state girls tennis individual championships.
It produced a great story. Their combination of skills helped Ross and Perfiliev capture three county titles and win the 2021 state crown. And as they traveled that path, the two good friends formed an incredibly close bond that was on display in this year’s state tournament.
However, all good stories don’t have great endings and that was the case for the Vikings duo in Saturday’s state title showdown. The defending champion and top seed met their match when they faced the second-seeded Byram Hills tandem of senior Chloe Bernstein and sophomore Jenna Kleynerman.
Ross and Perfiliev started well but faltered late and the Byram Hills entry posted a 2-6, 6-2, 6-4 win at Sportime Tennis Club. After the final point of their final doubles match together, the pair shared a minutes-long embrace on the baseline. “Of course I am sad right now . . . but I am so happy I asked her,” Ross said.
“Not every doubles team accomplished all that we did,” Perfiliev said. “There’s a lot to be proud of.”
The Vikings rolled through the first set with Ross making several strong plays at the net and Perfiliev – a Stony Brook commit – drilling a winner from the baseline for the final point. Ten minutes are permitted between sets and Byram Hills used all of it. When the Bobcats returned they won the first three games of the second set, twice breaking Port Washington’s serve. The Vikings were twice a point away from 3-3, but couldn’t put it away. They forced deuce three times in the seventh game but Byram Hills went up 5-2 en route to taking the set.
“We got cold during the break and played like it at the start (of the second set),” Perfiliev said. “They became the best version of who they are and we didn’t play our best.”
“We had opportunities and couldn’t make that last shot today,” Vikings coach Shane Helfner said. “This is the match where they made those shots last year. They didn’t this year and things slipped away.”
Ross and Perfiliev played loose through Friday’s quarterfinals and semifinals, laughing off their missed shots and enjoying the competition like few other entries. Not so in Saturday’s third set. Byram Hills broke their serve in two of the first five games for a lead. Though Ross held serve to make it 3-4 and Perfiliev held serve to make it 4-5, they couldn’t draw even.
“Being the defending champion is motivating but it comes with pressure,” Ross said.
“You have to give them credit,” Perfiliev said. “While we played with the pressure, they played like they had nothing to lose.”
Roger Rubin returned to Newsday in 2018 to write about high schools, colleges and baseball following 20 years at the Daily News. A Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 2011, he has covered 13 MLB postseasons and 14 NCAA Final Fours.
