State Tennis Semis Results

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Chattanooga Tennis Teams have Tough Semifinals

 

The balance of power in high school tennis has shifted. Well at least for this week.[/size]

 

The Chattanooga area qualified six teams - four girls' and two boys' - for the BlueCross Spring Fling XVI in Murfreesboro and prior to this evening's semi-final match (8 p.m. EDT) between McCallie and Memphis University School, five schools had lost.

 

Suffering defeats were Chattanooga Christian girls' and Notre Dame boys' in D-I A-AA, Cleveland girls' in D-I AAA, St. Andrews-Sewanee girls' in D-II A and GPS in D-II AA.

 

McCallie needs two wins (semis and finals) tonight to keep Chattanooga area tennis from being shutout of a state title for the first time since 1995.

 

Chattanooga teams have compiled 11 state titles among the six teams in the past four years; CCS (4 in a row), GPS (3 in a row), McCallie (3 in a row) and SAS (1).

 

D-I AAA Girls': Entering only four players in a 5 singles/2 doubles format, White Station girls' defeated Cleveland, 4-1.

 

A young Blue Raiders team - one senior in the top five - ended the season 10-1 with region and sectional titles in hand.[/size] "Our girls definitely felt the pressure today,'' said Cleveland coach Elizabeth Davis. "But, we had a real good year and we'll be back.''

 

White Station will face Science Hill, a 4-3 winner against Ravenwood, in the final.

 

White Station brought only four players due to the fact that No.5 Sally Kim, on orders by her parents', staying at home this week to study for final exams (Wednesday-Friday). The team alternate, Angelica Saulsberry, had an academic competition scheduled in Nashville this week.

 

"Our players are so young - three freshman and a sophomore - that they are pretty oblivious to the pressure of playing in a state tournament and they put the other issues aside and went out and played solid tennis,'' said White Station coach Paul Ross.

 

It will be interesting to see how this young team from the Memphis area plays in the finals down a point when they wake up Wednesday morning. Science Hill is also a new kid on the block, reaching its first state final.

 

D-I A-AA Girls': A veteran Christian Academy of Knoxville defeated four-time defending state champs Chattanooga Christian, 4-0, in a re-match of last year's final. CAK meets Univeristy School Jackson in the final.

 

"We were the veteran team last year, and CAK had the experience this time,'' said CCS coach Sue Webb. "We lose one starter to graduation and we have some good players coming up, so we will be back.''

 

D-I A-AA Boys': Defending champs Knoxville Catholic boys defeated Notre Dame, 4-0, and will face University School Jackson in tomorrow's final. USJ won titles in 2007 and 2008.

 

D-II A Girls': St. George's upset defending state champs St. Andrews-Sewanee, 4-3. St.George's faces University School Nashville for the title.

 

The victors clinched the win at No. 2 doubles. SAS had victories from Sadie Shackelford (No.1) and sister Avery Shackelford (No.2) and the Shackelfords claimed No.1 doubles.

 

D-II AA Girls': Hutchison (13-0) edged three-time defending state champs GPS, 4-1. The Bruisers' point came at No.1 singles when Sarah Evans defeated Hayly Humphries (10-1), in a battle of the unbeatens. Hutchison faces Webb - a 4-1 victor against Harpeth Hall in the other semis - in the finals.

 

"We have not been tested this season and I knew our match with GPS would be more than a test,'' said Hutchison coach Phil Chamberlain."We must play 10% better tomorrow in order to win.''

 

It will be Webb's swang song in D-II AA as the school moves down to D-II A classification.The Spartans have won six state titles, the last coming in 2005, while Hutchison seeks its first.

 

"I told the girls that there is nothing to hang our heads for,'' said GPS coach Sue Bartlett. "We had a good year and have a veteran team coming back.''

 

D-I AAA Boys' Science Hill looks for a three-peat on Wednesday as the Hilltoppers (15-1), state champs in 2007 and 2008, meet unbeaten Brentwood (10-0).

 

In the semis, Science Hill stopped Siegel 4-0, while Brentwood posted a similar score against White Station.

 

Match results for all semifinal matches are posted on the www.tssaa.org web site.

 

Editor's Note: An update with the evening matches will be added after midnight

 

contact B.B. Branton at william.branton@comcast.net

 

story also posted on chattanoogan.com

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Hutchison instead of Hutchinson. The Sting are 13-0 on the season.

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Hutchison instead of Hutchinson. The Sting are 13-0 on the season.

 

 

 

thanks. made the corrections in this story and in the final. Phil told me the team was 11-0 so that is what I went with.

 

 

 

b.b.b.

[CheckerboardEndzones]

thanks. made the corrections in this story and in the final. Phil told me the team was 11-0 so that is what I went with.

 

 

 

b.b.b.

 

 

No worries. Thank you for your coverage.