Rickert claims PNW Level 4 Open doubles championship

Full caption: From left, Pepper Rickert of Sandpoint, and Kate Bonetto of Bend, Ore. won a United States Tennis Association Level 4 Open Girls Doubles Championship held Nov. 1 and Nov. 2 at the Vancouver Tennis Center in Vancouver, Wash. Competing in the 18-and-under division, strong volleys, big serves and consistent cross-courts proved to be a winning formula for the duo in their dominant performance. Rickert and Bonetto won all four of the games they competed in to capture gold at the round robin-style tournament, defeating Sonya Drayton of West Linn, Ore. and Emily Gu of Corvallis, Ore. by a score of 8-2, Ellie Tran of Auburn, Wash. and Jackie DeRoche of Federal Way, Wash. 8-0, Nikhitha Raji Suresh of Portland, Ore. and Rachel Zhang of Portland, Ore. 8-3, and Tessa Rozendal of Beaverton, Ore. and Malavika Rahul of Portland, Ore. 8-1 in their finale. Rickert will return to action Nov. 26 through Dec. 6 for the USTA Level 2: IMG Academy International Championships set to be held at the IMG Academy Basketball and Tennis Complex in Bradenton, Fla. Rickert, who will be competing in the 16-and-under division, was selected to participate in the prestigious event's main draw, which will include 46 of the top junior players from around the world.