Laura Stein in semifinals again Camden Hills senior will play Falmouth’s Meahl Thursday

PORTLAND – The rainy weather was the only thing that could keep Laura Stein from earning her fourth straight trip to the State Singles Championship girls semifinals, and the Camden Hills senior was able to outlast that.

Stein was efficient, methodical and downright machine-like as she breezed through the competition Tuesday at The Racket Tennis and Fitness Center, which hosted the Round of 40 portion of the championship tournament after rain moved it off the Bates College campus and indoors.

“I was so pumped to play Saturday morning, but I managed to keep my intensity and enthusiasm up,” said Stein, who lost only one game in 37 en route to three consecutive straight-sets victories.

Stein dispatched Penquis’ Liza Comeau 6-0, 6-0, Ginny Petrovek of Yarmouth 6-1, 6-0, and Liz Barton of York 6-0, 6-0.

“I was real happy with the way I was serving and it sort of set me up to win some easy points and take more risks in my return game,” said Stein. “They just built on one another I guess.”

The top-seeded Stein will take on No. 4 seed Kristen Meahl of Falmouth, who eliminated No. 5 seed Mary Francis, a junior from Sumner of East Sullivan 6-1, 6-3 in the quarterfinal round. Thursday’s semifinals and final will be held, weather permitting, at the Waynflete School courts in Portland.

A win over Meahl puts Stein in the finals for the first time since her freshman year. The University of Massachusetts- bound Stein says returning to the final hasn’t been the primary motivation for a rigorous offseason training program that has greatly improved her durability, intensity and resiliency on the court.

“I haven’t really had this in my mind,” she said. “I’m really just trying to go out and train hard and play for the love of the game. I don’t base my career on one tournament or one title. I just want to keep getting better.”

She’s certainly doing that. Stein made it look easy as she excelled in every facet of the game: drop shots, lobs, passing shots, serve-and-volley, and forehand smashes.

“I just feel like I can go out there and control a match. I guess the time in the weight room and doing the sprints and stuff is paying off,” Stein said. “I also want to try not to think as much and just play the game.”

The other semifinalists are No. 3 seed Jenny Kendall of North Yarmouth Academy against No. 2 seed Louise Taylor of Yarmouth. Taylor was tested in the quarterfinal against unseeded Amanda Wood of Falmouth, before beating Wood 6-4, 2-6, 6-3.

The semifinals start at 12:15 p.m. Thursday. If it’s raining, The Racket will again be the host location.

Francis, a No. 7 seed last year, was disappointed in her quarterfinal loss, but happy with her performance overall on Tuesday.

“This is what I had in mind to do was prove I deserved to be the fifth seed,” said the Sumner junior. “It was definitely a learning experience and I can’t wait to come back.”

Francis gained some battle experience as she had to rally back from 3-4 and 4-5 deficits in the first set of her first-round match against Lothes to pull out a 7-6 win via an 8-6 tiebreaker.

“I went out there and I was just trying to be this big player and just focus. It’s what I’ve been taught to do,” Francis said. “Once I got a couple games, I was ready to go and I didn’t want to lose. I hate losing, so I just pushed it.”

Francis combined a solid power return game with well-placed drop and passing shots, although she had to adjust to opponents’ various styles.

“All three matches were different. The biggest thing today was adapting all the different styles,” she said.

Unfortunately, it took more time than she had to adjust to Meahl’s game.

“She got everything back and she was really good with putting topspin on the ball,” she said. “She also had a good slice serve that took some getting used to. I wish we could play another set.”

The only significant upsets on the day were Wood’s 6-4, 6-3 first-round victory over No. 7 Marcia Gilbride of Mount Ararat of Topsham and Liz Barton’s three-set win over No. 8 Jessica Maurice from Deering of Portland.