Defending state champ battling injury Hampden Academy’s Potvin plans to compete in state singles tourney

If Eliot Potvin is to win his second straight state schoolboy tennis singles championship over Memorial Day weekend, he’ll have to fight through some adversity.

The Hampden Academy junior, undefeated against in-state competition for the last two seasons, suffered two partially torn ligaments in his left wrist on May 15. Potvin said he believes he suffered the injury while weight training.

He then played – and won – a regular-season match later that day before having his sore wrist checked out and diagnosed by a doctor.

Potvin was fitted with a splint and subsequently competed at a national open junior tournament in Atlanta last weekend. As the fifth seed in that 64-player, age 18-and-under field, he won his first two matches before falling into the consolation bracket.

“It was a little disappointing because it was a tournament where I thought I could do real well,” said Potvin. “But I guess it was a good outcome considering the injury.”

Potvin is righthanded, but normally hits a two-handed backhand. With the injury, he has had to rely more on a one-handed backhand.

He was cleared earlier this week to not have to wear the splint 24 hours a day, but still must wear the splint while playing tennis.

“I’m probably about 70 percent in terms of overall play,” said Potvin, who added that surgery will not be required. “I’m not as confident as I would have been before the injury, but I’m hoping I can play well.”

Potvin is the top boys seed for state’s 2006 Round of 40 playdown, which begins Friday at Bates College in Lewiston. The boys and girls fields will be pared to 32 on Friday, and the playdown will continue Saturday, leaving the boys and girls semifinals and championship matches to be played Monday.

If there is inclement weather, play would be moved indoors to the Racket and Fitness Center in Portland.

Potvin, who reached the state championship match as a freshman, rolled to the individual title as the top seed last spring, defeating his five opponents in state singles tournament play by a collective game score of 60-7.

Included in that run was a 6-1, 6-2 semifinal victory over Parker Swenson of North Yarmouth Academy, the fifth seed a year ago who is the No. 2 seed in this year’s field.

Mike Hill, a freshman from Mount Ararat of Topsham, is the third seed, followed by Neall Oliver of Deering of Portland, Joey Michalakes of Camden Hills of Rockport, Chris Morrison of Falmouth, Mike Von Vogt of Lincoln Academy of Newcastle and Sam Hyland of Falmouth.

Michalakes and Oliver each advanced to the quarterfinals last year, while Morrison and Hyland were ousted in the Round of 16 and Von Vogt fell in the Round of 32.

Christine Ordway, a freshman from Waynflete School of Portland, is the top seed in the girls field and hopes to be the second straight first-year player to claim the schoolgirl title.

Camille Jania of Scarborough, who raced untouched to the girls single title as a freshman last year, opted not to play high school tennis this spring and instead focus on regional- and national-level play.

Kristen Meahl of Falmouth, who lost to Jania in last year’s final, is the second seed for the second straight year. Ordway defeated Meahl in their only meeting during the regular season.

Lauren Coupal of York is seeded third, followed by freshman Chantalle Lavertu of Lewiston, Jean Gulliver of Falmouth, Deahna Giguere of Messalonskee of Oakland, Erin Flynn of John Bapst of Bangor and Liz Barton of Yarmouth.

Coupal was a semifinalist in last year’s tournament, while Giguere and Barton reached the quarterfinals and Gulliver and Flynn advanced to the round of 16.