Trailing 17-11 in her Queens Borough Championship semifinal handball match, Long Island City’s Joan Wu seemed on the verge of losing for the first time this season. Unseasonably cold weather and windy conditions took Wu out of her game. The end of her season seemed inevitable.

Then Wu broke serve and her fortunes changed. The senior collected her thoughts and mustered enough energy to reel off seven points in a row and take a narrow lead against Linda Thai of Townsend Harris. The two competitors traded points and deadlocked at 20-20 each player missed a chance to win the match. Then Wu finally broke through and escaped with a one-point win and a trip to the finals.

Fresh off the comeback win, Wu easily disposed of Lily Gao of Townsend Harris in the final by the score of 21-6 to capture her first Queens championship.

“I feel extremely happy,” said Wu, who also stars on the LIC volleyball team. “I made all my angle shots and serves. All the practice and hard work paid off.”

On the brink of elimination, Wu told herself she could win. And the power of positive thinking proved her correct.

“My heart was beating so fast,” said Wu, who relaxed herself with some positive thoughts. “I just knew I had to win.”

With the win Wu advanced to the PSAL individual championships held Thursday, May 25 at Grand Street Campus. Gao and Thai, who defeated Natalie Vartonian of Forest Hills in the consolation match, also qualified for the city championships.

“I’m ready and pumped for it,” said Wu, about her first trip to the city championships. “It will be very competitive and hard, but if I put my mind to it I can go far.”

Entering the borough championships, Wu had compiled a 40-1 PSAL regular season record in four years of playing handball. But wins in the borough championships were hard to get and last year she suffered a disappointing loss in the second round.

Wu was determined to make her senior year her best yet.

“This year she is much more poised,” said LIC coach Barry Lieblich. “She plays more with her head than her athletic ability.”

Jorgena Mato and Priscilla Aguilar of Townsend Harris easily beat teammates Michelle Kwa and Evelyn Ong, 21-2, to win the Queens doubles title. Both doubles’ teams as well as Bryant’s Ann Lo and Janice Ying, who won the doubles consolation match, advanced to the city championships.