TAMPA - Not until the final Plant return sailed just past the baseline could Alonso coach Helen Soash finally quit pacing at Hillsborough Community College on Wednesday morning.
It was not until that final long groundstroke that Alonso's No. 1 doubles team of Megan Broderick and Fernanda Ospina was able to clinch its match and, therefore, the Class 3A, District 9 girls tennis title. The 8-5 score in the pro-set style tiebreaker was the final point the Ravens needed to clinch the first district title in school history.
"It all rested on the No. 1 doubles," Soash said. "And I knew that. I was confident in my Nos. 1, 2 and 3 seeds."
After two days of competition and six other head-to-head matches against the Panthers in Wednesday's tiebreaker, the district crown came down to the No. 1 doubles match, with the winner advancing to Friday's regional match at Countryside.
The Panthers duo of Aja Wright and Vicky Crago closed the gap from 5-2 to 5-4, but the Ravens broke Crago's serve, held on Ospina's, gave up a point to Wright and then won with Broderick serving. Broderick and Ospina had never played doubles together before the district tournament.
Broderick, a freshman, also won her No. 1 singles match, leading the Ravens, who swept the top three seeds. Plant won at Nos. 4 and 5 and No. 2 doubles.
Durant, Gaither advance
After two long days of tennis matches, the Durant boys and Gaither girls finally clinched Class 4A, District 6 team championships with quick tiebreaker matches Wednesday.
Playing pro sets, Durant fell behind 3-2 after singles play but rallied in doubles to beat Plant City 4-3. The Cougars' No. 2 doubles team of Brenton Assing and Richard Pinelli couldn't get past Plant City's Joe Genualdi and Jarod Dicks all season but pulled out an 8-4 victory. The No. 1 singles match was the last to finish, and Durant's Shaun Young and Brian Walsh beat Clay Bavinger and Scott Eason 8-5.
"You could tell after the singles matches, (the Raiders) had a lot of confidence in their doubles teams since they're so good," Young said. "That really motivated us."
The Cougars host Orlando Dr. Phillips in Friday's regional tournament.
It came down to the wire among the 4A-6 girls as well, as Gaither defeated Lakeland 4-3.
Gaither's No. 1 Brianna Williams defeated Aubrey Campbell 8-2, and No. 2 Annica Johansson won her match as well. Gaither No. 4 Carolina Aldana stepped up to beat Lakeland's Chelsea Stone 8-2 after Stone beat her handily on Tuesday.
After Gaither lost its other two singles matches, the doubles matches were the deciding factors. After the Cowboys won at No. 2 doubles, Gaither's Williams and Johansson were up 4-1 until Lakeland's Aubrey and Andrea Campbell came back to tie at 4.
"Everyone was standing up, screaming and cheering," Williams said. "It was awesome."
Williams and Johansson won the next four points for an 8-4 victory.
