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<p>CLARKS SUMMIT &#8212; Wyoming Seminary&#8217;s Jacqui Meuser gave Emily Jonsson a different look in the first set, but she was not able to alter the usual outcome Scranton Prep&#8217;s No. 1 player produces.</p><p>Jonsson successfully defended her District 2 Class 2A girls tennis singles title after working her way through a challenging semifinal first set with the Blue Knights senior before eventually walking away with a 6-3, 6-0 victory on Friday.</p><p>Hazleton Area sophomore Stephanie Maruzek also put up a fight as the day&#8217;s biggest underdog &#8211; a fifth seed playing a No. 1 seed &#8211; before losing to Williamsport&#8217;s Amanda Southard, 6-3, 6-3, in the District 2-4 Class 3A semifinal.</p><p>&#8220;In the first set, I think I was just a little more focused,&#8221; Meuser said. &#8220;She also stepped up her game.</p><p>&#8220;She was hitting harder. She didn&#8217;t miss any shots. She definitely played better in the second set.&#8221;</p><p>Jonsson had to because of Meuser&#8217;s play.</p><p>After not losing a game in six sets in Thursday&#8217;s first three rounds, Jonsson dropped three in Friday&#8217;s first set.</p><p>&#8220;I had never played her before,&#8221; Jonsson said. &#8220;I wasn&#8217;t used to her style of play.</p><p>&#8220;Lately, I&#8217;ve been playing a lot of heavy hitters, who hit the ball flat. She kind of came out there and gave me a totally different style.&#8221;</p><p>Meuser knew she needed to take that approach.</p><p>&#8220;I knew not to try to outhit her,&#8221; Meuser said. &#8220;Her ground strokes are better than mine.</p><p>&#8220;I just kind of went in trying to move her around. I think I did that better in the first set.&#8221;</p><p>Jonsson had a similar match in the final against Scranton Prep teammate Maansi Malhotra, winning, 6-4, 6-0.</p><p>&#8220;She is strong physical and mentally,&#8221; Meuser said. &#8220;She can be down 40-love and she&#8217;ll come right back.</p><p>&#8220;She doesn&#8217;t miss much.&#8221;</p><p>Maruzek kept Southard on the court for more than two hours in a semifinal full of long points.</p><p>Southard won, 6-3, 6-3, but the top seed did not have enough left to get through a three-set final, which she lost to Caroline Mattise from Abington Heights.</p><p>&#8220;She was very consistent,&#8221; Southard said. &#8220;She brought everything back.&#8221;</p><p>Friday&#8217;s semifinal results on the indoor courts at Birchwood Racquet Club left Meuser and Maruzek looking forward to their last shot at district gold in Tuesday and Wednesday&#8217;s doubles tournaments.</p><p>Meuser, who seldom plays doubles, has been on a crash course with teammate Megan Obeid in case she did not win singles. The singles champions qualify for that state tournament, making them ineligible for doubles because the two state championships run simultaneously.</p><p>Maruzek plays more doubles in tournaments outside the high school season and is ready to team up with freshman Lilly Nowak.</p><p>A breakthrough season for Hazleton Area that included an unbeaten Wyoming Valley Conference championship and a trip to the team semifinals has Maruzek hungry for more.</p><p>&#8220;It feels great,&#8221; Maruzek said. &#8220;It gives me a lot of confidence and gets me excited for my next tournament.&#8221;</p><p><strong>DISTRICT 2-4 CLASS AAA</strong></p><p><strong>Semifinals</strong></p><p>No. 1 Amanda Southard (Williamsport) d. No. 5 Stephanie Maruzek (Hazleton Area) 6-3, 6-3; No. 2 Caroline Mattise (Abington Heights) d. No. 3 Isabel Bauer (Williamsport) 6-1, 6-0.</p><p><strong>Final</strong></p><p>Mattise d. Southard 6-7 (5-7), 6-2, 6-4.</p><p><strong>DISTRICT 2 CLASS AA</strong></p><p><strong>Semifinals</strong></p><p>No. 1 Emily Jonsson (Scranton Prep) d. No. 4 Jacqui Meuser (Wyoming Seminary) 6-3, 6-0; No. 2 Maansi Malhotra (Wyoming Seminary) d. No. 3 Nastashia DeNunzio (Dunmore) 5-7, 6-2, 6-4.</p><p><strong>Finals</strong></p><p>Jonsson d. Malhotra, 6-4, 6-0.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Wyoming Seminary&#8217;s Jacqui Meuser returns the ball to Scranton Prep&#8217;s Emily Jonsson during their District 2-4 Class 3A semifinal match on Friday at the Birchwood Racquet Club. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_d2_aa-_tennis_faa.jpg</photo0><caption0>Wyoming Seminary&#8217;s Jacqui Meuser returns the ball to Scranton Prep&#8217;s Emily Jonsson during their District 2-4 Class 3A semifinal match on Friday at the Birchwood Racquet Club. </caption0><photoCredit0>Fred Adams | for Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_d2_aaa_tennis1_faa.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Hazleton Area&#8217;s Stephanie Maruzek goes toward the net to return the ball to Amanda Southhard from Williamsport in a District 2-4 Class 3A semifinal match on Friday at the Birchwood Racquet Club. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_d2_aaa_tennis1_faa.jpg</photo1><caption1>Hazleton Area&#8217;s Stephanie Maruzek goes toward the net to return the ball to Amanda Southhard from Williamsport in a District 2-4 Class 3A semifinal match on Friday at the Birchwood Racquet Club. </caption1><photoCredit1>Fred Adams | for Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_d2_aaa_tennis2_faa.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Williamsport Amanda Southard in semi-final with Stephanie Mazurek of Hazleton  ----------------Fred Adams|for Times Leader 10-16-17</div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_d2_aaa_tennis2_faa.jpg</photo2><caption2>Williamsport Amanda Southard in semi-final with Stephanie Mazurek of Hazleton  ----------------Fred Adams|for Times Leader 10-16-17</caption2><photoCredit2>Fred Adams | for Times Leader </photoCredit2></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Tom Robinson</p><p>For the Times Leader</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Times Leader sports at 570-829-7143 or on Twitter @tlsports</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Jacqui Meuser, Stephanie Maruzek fall in District 2 tennis semifinals