PORTLAND — The Maranacook girls tennis team will enter the Class C South tournament as one of a handful contenders for the crown.
In the meantime, two Black Bears still have a Maine Principals’ Association singles title in their sights.
Madelyn Dwyer and Emma Wadsworth advanced to the Round of 16 in the MPA state singles tournament after impressive performances Friday.
Maranacook’s Madelyn Dwyer returns a shot to Yarmouth’s Lexie Caterine during the Round of 48 state singles tournament Friday in Portland. Portland Press Herald photo by Derek Davis
Dwyer defeated Lexie Caterine of Yarmouth 6-2, 6-1 in the Round of 48 and then Hailey Holmquist of Caribou, who had a bye into the first round, 6-2-6-1.
“It went really well. I was hitting the ball well,” Dwyer said after her victory against Holmquist. “I could tell I was on my game and I just had to keep getting the ball back and work on my game.”
Wadsworth upset Brunswick’s Anna Parker in the round of 32 to advance.
Also advancing to Saturday from central Maine was eighth-seeded Ellie Hodgkin of Erskine, who defeated Lindsey Bell of Gardiner in her lone match of the day in straight sets.
“I was a little bit nervous, but I was pretty confident,” Hodgkin said. “My confidence helped me because I did pretty well this season. I didn’t want to go in over-confident.”
Other girls advancing in the round of 16 are Daphne-Stratton Gignac (York), Blair Hollyday (Cape Elizabeth), Merdedith Kelley (Falmouth), Regitze Jacobsen (MDI), Lauren Bourque (Messalonskee), Morgan Warren (Waynflete), Sara Fallon (Falmouth), Caitlin Cass (Lincoln), Anastasia Kapothansis (Cheverus), Elene Imnaishviili (Bangor) and Juloa Svor (Lewiston).
Haley Walsh (Mt. Blue) and Gabby Blanco (Winthrop) didn’t make it out of the Round of 48.
“I just had a rough time getting back in my groove,” Svor said. “The last couple of points, I just had to do.”
Svor beat Boothe 6-3, 6-1. Svor’s twin sister, Abby, the 12th seed, lost in straight sets to Fiona Lang of Lincoln 6-2, 6-2.
“Abby always gets nervous before matches, that’s her whole personality,” Lewiston girls coach Anita Murphy said. “We are working with her not be so nervous, go into it and have fun. Play your game that’s all I am asking you to do.”
Maddy Foster, Lewiston’s No. 3 singles player, won her first matchup against Cheverus’ Kristina Matkevich 6-3, 6-4 before falling to the No. 1 overall seed Grace Campanella of Kennebunk-Wells in straight sets.
“She won her first round, that’s what she wanted,” Murphy said of Foster. “Of course, we knew what she was up against in the (Round of 32).”
On the boys side, Waterville’s Charles Haberstock upset Lewiston’s Caden Smith, the No. 12 seed, in the Round of 32, 6-2, 6-4.
It was Haberstock’s third match in 24 hours, as he defeated Sawyer Deprey of Caribou on Friday morning and played in a team match for Waterville on Thursday against Bangor.
“I didn’t really have it, I had to dig deep,” Haberstock said after the win against Smith. “I am wicked tired right now, and super sore.”
Zack Gunther of Mt. Blue competes in the Round of 48 state singles tournament Friday in Portland. Portland Press Herald photo by Derek Davis
Lewiston’s Ben St. Laurent also had a tough opening-round match against Kaito Fang (George Stevens), as Fang won 6-4, 2-6 and won the 10-point tiebreaker 10-7 to take the match.
Fang lost to Eli Jolliffe (Belfast) in the Round of 32.
St. Dom’s Gaston Fuksa lost his opening-round match to Eben Cooley (PCHS) and Saints teammate Robert Kurtz lost his Round of 32 match to Archie McDonough (Camden Hills).
Mt. Blue’s Chris Marshall, Mick Gurney, and Zack Gunther all lost in the Round of 48.
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