Sometimes, you have to be ruthless in sports, especially if you’re competing against your good friend

Bella Sigua had to block out that she was playing her best friend, Eva Twedt in the final of the girls tennis championship.

Sigua said it was the toughest thing she has done, but she came out on top in the  girls singles Regional tennis championship on Friday.

Sigua, a junior at Reno, beat her teammate, senior Eva Twedt in the final, 6-3, 6-2 for the title in the North 5A Regional held at Bishop Manogue.

Sigua said she was nervous playing her close friend.

“It’s extremely hard to play against her,” Sigua said. “Emotionally and physically. I had to cut off all feelings to be able to play her because I feel it’s more disrespectful to not play her my best.”

Sigua, who was runner-up last year in the Regional, only lost once this season. She said that loss was because she let her emotions take over.

Sigua said playing in the state tournament can be easier for her because she doesn’t know the Southern Nevada players and has no emotional connection with them.

“It’s just a competitor,” she said of playing in state. “When I’m faced with a competitor, with no emotions, I play way better.”

She hopes to play tennis college and plays year-round on the NorCal and SoCal tennis circuits.

She said playing tennis in the colder weather expected during the state tournament should help the Northern Nevada qualifiers. The top five from boys and girls singles and doubles qualify for state..

In the boys singles championship, Reno senior Brody Friedman returned to the top by beating Dom Zaccheo, 6-0, 6-3, from Manogue for the title.

Friedman, who won the singles title as a freshman in 2019, played doubles last year. He won the doubles Regional title with partner Jeffrey Rinehart last year

In boys doubles Friday, the Reed duo of Caden Humphreys and Kaiden Cain won the title over Trevor Games and Wyatt Games, from McQueen, 6-4, 6-2.

In girls doubles, Bishop Manogue’s Audrey Priest and Ava Shaw defeated McQueen’s Zabrina Schram and Josie Koelwyn, 6-2, 7-6 (6) for the championship.

Priest won the girls singles title last year.

The 5A state tennis tournament, for teams and individuals, is Thursday-Saturday at Bishop Manogue and Galena.

Individual championships are scheduled for noon Saturday at Manogue.

State 5A Tournament Schedule

Team competition (at Bishop Manogue)

Thursday, Oct. 27

Girls team semifinals at 8 and 10:15 a.m.

Boys team semifinals at 12:30 and 2:45 p.m. 

Friday, Oct. 28

Girls team Championship at 8 a.m.

Boys team Championship at 10:15 a.m.

Individual competition

Thursday, Oct. 27 (at Galena High School)

Boys singles and boys doubles first round, 8 a.m.

Girls singles and girls doubles first round, 2 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 28 (at Bishop Manogue)

Girls singles and girls doubles quarterfinals, 1 p.m.

Boys singles and boys doubles quarterfinals, 2:30 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 29 (at Bishop Manogue)

All flights (boys and girls singles and doubles) semifinals, 9 a.m.

All flights (boys and girls singles and doubles) championship/third place, noon

Jim Krajewski covers high school and youth sports for the Reno Gazette Journal. Follow him on Twitter @RGJPreps. Support his work by subscribing to RGJ.com.