North Allegheny’s Advaita Sircar readies for state singles

By: John Grupp
Saturday, May 17, 2025 | 11:01 AM

Purchase Photo Options

North Allegheny tennis standout Advaita Sircar is feeling rejuvenated these days.

The arm that bothered him during a straight-set loss in the WPIAL Class 3A team championship has recovered, and the upcoming PIAA tournament includes a favorable bracket for the Tigers’ star sophomore.

“I feel super confident now after all of the training I’ve done,” said Sircar, who fell to Gateway senior Adam Memije, 6-3, 6-1, at No. 1 singles in the Tigers’ 3-2 loss to the Gators in the WPIAL team final May 7. “I’ve been training much harder after that loss. It was tough to play in the WPIAL finals. I had an arm injury, and it was a real problem. It was my bicep. I feel way better now.”

Sircar, who beat Memije for the WPIAL singles title as a freshman before losing their rematch last month in a three-set final, wasted no time getting back into the swing of things. Sircar blanked Allderdice sophomore Barak Raz, 6-0, 6-0, at No. 1 singles in the Tigers’ 5-0 victory in the opening round of the PIAA Class 3A team tournament May 13. It was the Tigers’ first match since the WPIAL team finals.

North Allegheny (16-2) was slated to play Unionville (17-3), the fourth-place team from District 1, on Friday (May 16) at Hershey in the PIAA team quarterfinals.

“It was a great win,” Sircar said of the first-round victory over Allderdice. “We bounced back really nicely. The WPIAL finals was tough. But what can we do?”

Sircar will open the PIAA singles tournament against McDowell freshman David Mikotowicz, the District 10 champion, on May 23 at Hershey Racquet Club. A victory would move Sircar into the state quarterfinals against either Conestoga senior Michael Gao, the fourth-place finisher from District 1, or Abington Heights senior Praneel Mallaiah, a three-time District 2 champion.

“I think he knows he’s got a shot,” North Allegheny coach Matt Woffington said. “(The WPIAL finals) was a bad day, and he’ll get right back at it.”

Last year, Sircar had a tough assignment at state singles in what Woffington called “a terrible draw.”

As part of the predetermined 16-boy PIAA bracket, Sircar ran into Penn State recruit and eventual state champion David Lindsay of District 6 Central Mountain in the quarterfinals. Sircar lost 6-1, 6-1. District 6 isn’t known for its tennis. Before Lindsay, who also won in 2022, the State College-area district hadn’t won a PIAA singles title since 1974.

“Hopefully, I get a better draw this year,” Sircar said before the brackets were completed. “But I think I’ve improved a lot, so hopefully my states will be better.”

Sircar should get his wish. His side of the bracket appears to be much more manageable. Gateway’s Memije is on the other side of the bracket. More importantly, so is Daniel Boone sophomore sensation Chase Gerloff. That means Sircar can’t face either one before the PIAA finals.

Gerloff is the overwhelming favorite. He is ranked 25th in the nation in the Class of 2027 and didn’t lose a game in the regular season, winning all 20 matches by a score of 6-0, 6-0. He breezed to the District 3 singles title and has outscored his opponents 288-4 in games this season.

Sircar said he has played Gerloff once.

“It was a failure,” Sircar said. “There was not much success.”

So, while Sircar is a long shot to join Tom Liebenguth (1976) as North Allegheny’s only PIAA boys singles champions, reaching the finals — unlike last season — is a realistic goal.

“Freshman year, I was kind of new to everything,” Sircar said. “I didn’t really know what to expect or what to do. Now, after a whole year of WPIAL and states and team matches, I’ve gained a lot more experience. … I feel better mentally on the court, and I’ve been working on my serve a lot, and my forehand is much more powerful.”

Tags: North Allegheny