Williams qualifies for state tennis tournament

CARBONDALE -- Marion High School senior Malachi Williams placed fourth at the Carbondale Sectional and is qualified for the IHSA's Class 1A state tennis tournament for the second straight year.
The sectional was not only postponed from beginning Friday until Saturday but technically never finished as part of it was pushed to Monday and not completed.
Nevertheless, Williams rolled to a 6-0, 6-0 win in his first sectional match and won by a 6-1, 6-0 sweep in the quarterfinals to punch his ticket.
Williams lost to Carbondale's Zach Pereira in the semifinals by a 6-3, 6-2 score, then took on Mt. Vernon's Daniel Song for third place.
Williams had to forfeit the match in the second set due to injury default.
Marion's other singles player, Sam Childers, won his opening match but lost to Carbondale's Jack Butler in the quarterfinals.
Williams and Childers are the Wildcats' only seniors.
In doubles, Marion's Logan Holderfield and Jarrett Baker won their way into the quarterfinals but then lost in a tiebreaker to Carbondale's Will Bruns and Phen Grant.
The other doubles team of Lucas Moake and Dylan Motsinger received a walkover in the opening round but lost to Mt. Vernon's Gerett Benjamin and Will Walton in the quarterfinals.
The IHSA state tournament begins in the Chicagoland area on Thursday.