Jania, Hall capture state individual tennis crowns

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LEWISTON – Erin Flynn has been an accomplished high school tennis player throughout her career at John Bapst of Bangor, her baseline-oriented game strong enough for to her to rank among the top competitors statewide for the last four years.

But Christine Ordway of Portland’s Waynflete School not only was the two-time defending state champion but also the 2006 and 2007 New England champ, and she used that talent and experience Monday morning to power past Flynn 6-1, 6-0 in the semifinals of the 2008 state singles tournament at Bates College.

The second-ranked Ordway went on to fall to top-seeded Camille Jania of Scarborough 6-0, 6-0 in the afternoon final, while top-ranked Mike Hill of Mount Ararat of Topsham won the boys crown for the second straight year with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over No. 3 Neall Oliver of Deering of Portland.

Ordway, a junior, used a powerful forehand as her primary weapon to keep Flynn pinned behind the baseline.

“I just tried to keep the ball deep on both sides to open up the court and create angles,” she said.

Flynn, the sixth seed who had reached the quarterfinals each of the two previous years, tried different tactics against the Waynflete ace, such as lobbing the ball on some occasions and attacking the net on other points, but Ordway had all the answers.

“I definitely did try to lob, but with it being outdoors I was kind of scared about the wind,” said Flynn, who plans to continue her tennis career collegiately and already has been accepted at Columbia.

“Then I tried getting into the net, but she’s very long and can get to a lot of balls,” she added.

Ordway jumped out to a 2-0 first-set lead, but the next few games were highly competitive. Flynn took a love-40 lead in the third game before Ordway rallied and finally held serve after four deuces.

Flynn held serve to stay within 3-1 and led love-30 against Ordway in the fifth game of the set. But Ordway fired off three straight baseline winners to regain control of that game, marking the first of three straight games she won from 30-30 to end the set.

“She really makes you hit a lot of balls,” said Ordway of Flynn. “And she never commits unforced errors, so you really have to work for your points against her.”

Ordway was able to keep Flynn on the run during most of the second set, limiting the John Bapst standout’s opportunities to launch winners from the baseline.

“She definitely kept me running after the ball,” said Flynn, who lost just five games in winning three earlier matches to reach the semifinals. “She really played good angles.”

Jania – the 2005 state and New England champ as a freshman who opted out of high school competition the last two years to focus on regional and national competition – defeated No. 4 Chantalle Lavertu of Lewiston 6-0, 6-1 in her semifinal despite losing a game for just the second time in her high school career.

Jania, nationally ranked in the 18-and-under amateur ranks, then dominated Ordway in what was a highly anticipated final given that neither had dropped a set in Maine high school competition.

Hill advanced to the championship match for the third straight year – he lost to Hampden Academy’s Eliot Potvin in the final as a freshman – with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Waynflete freshman Brandon Thompson, the No. 5 seed.

Oliver rallied past No. 2 Sam Hyland of Falmouth 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 in the other semifinal to avenge a loss to Hyland in last year’s semifinals.

eclark@bangordailynews.net

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SINGLES CHAMPIONSHIPS

At Bates College, Lewiston

GIRLS

Semifinals

Camille Jania (1), Scarborough def. Chantalle Lavertu (4), Lewiston, 6-0, 6-1

Christine Ordway (2), Waynflete def. Erin Flynn (6), John Bapst, 6-1, 6-0

Final

Jania (1) def. Ordway (2), 6-0, 6-0

BOYS

Semifinals

Mike Hill (1), Mt. Ararat def. Brandon Thompson (5), Waynflete, 6-4, 6-1

Neall Oliver (3), Deering def. Sam Hyland (2), Falmouth, 3-6, 6-3, 6-1

Final

Hill (1) def. Oliver (2), 6-2, 6-2