Three freshmen reach girls tennis semifinals Ordway, Lavertu, Leighton, Meahl eye crown

LEWISTON – On a hot Saturday afternoon by 2006 standards, Heidi Graceffa knew the outcome of her tennis match against freshman Christine Ordway of Portland’s Waynflete School had little to do with the weather.

“It could have been snowing,” said the Calais High School senior, “and it wouldn’t have made any difference.”

The final score of that second-round match was 6-0, 6-1, one of three convincing victories by Ordway during the state Round of 40 playdown at Bates College that advanced the tournament’s top seed to today’s semifinals.

Ordway, who outscored Leslie Martin of Foxcroft Academy, Graceffa and Amanda Slack of Cape Elizabeth by a combined 36-4, is one of three freshman semifinalists. Ordway faces classmate Chantalle Lavertu of Lewiston, the No. 4 seed, while second-seeded senior Kristen Meahl of Falmouth will play unseeded freshman teammate Hallsey Leighton in the other semifinal at 11 a.m. for the right to play in this afternoon’s championship match.

Ordway – who also resides in Falmouth – was the dominant player during Saturday’s matches, combining a big serve with deep and powerful groundstrokes.

“I just tried to hit it in, stood back as far as possible on her serve and just tried to keep it in play and hoped she made mistakes, which she didn’t,” said Graceffa.

Graceffa advanced to play Ordway with a 6-0, 7-5 win over Amanda Hallett of Penobscot Valley of Howland.

“I’ve been to states all four years and I never won a match until this year, so I’m happy with winning my first-round match,” she said.

Meahl, a finalist last year, advanced with a 6-2, 6-1 quarterfinal victory over No. 7 Erin Flynn of John Bapst of Bangor. This match featured plenty of long rallies as Flynn tried to change the pace against Meahl’s consistent baseline game.

“I kept switching it up, but she was really good,” said Flynn.

Flynn, a sophomore who reached the second round last spring, advanced one additional round this year. The Hancock resident defeated Ali Dick of Winthrop 6-1, 6-1 in her opening match and then topped Lindsay Hammond of Brunswick 6-4, 6-1.

Joining Graceffa as second-round qualifiers from the region this year were Kate Kirby of Orono and Sarah Porter of Presque Isle. Kirby outlasted Maggie Taylor of Yarmouth 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 before being eliminated by No. 5 Jean Gulliver of Falmouth 6-3, 6-1. Porter topped Sophie Dillman of Greely of Cumberland Center 7-6 (2), 6-0 and battled No. 3 Lauren Coupal of York before falling 6-3, 6-3.

Leighton’s road to the semifinals included a pair of upset victories over seeded players, No. 6 Deahna Giguere of Messalonskee of Oakland in the second round and Coupal in the quarterfinals. Against Giguere, Leighton was within one game of losing in straight sets before using her relentless return skills to force and then win a second-set tiebreaker. She closed out the match with a decisive 6-1 victory in the final set.

Leighton then whipped Coupal 6-1, 6-2.

Lavertu defeated Caribou’s Casey Corriveau 6-0, 6-0 and Lauren Kinney of Greely 6-1, 6-2 before ousting Gulliver 7-5, 7-6 (5) in a hard-fought quarterfinal.