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Nemesis' exit opens door for O'Connor

The Hudson star is the most likely to fill the void left by Wesley Chapel's Yumi Hasegawa, who left for Japan.

By BOB PUTNAM
Published February 25, 2005

The moment that set the stage for what figures to be a dominant season by Hudson's Meighan O'Connor began with the opening of a door.

An airport terminal door.

When Wesley Chapel's Yumi Hasegawa boarded a flight for Japan to compete in tennis tournaments this semester, O'Connor had a chance.

"I know there are a lot of people who have left, and I feel like I have a chance to do some things this season," O'Connor said. "Not having Yumi around was big because she was awfully good."

How good?

Hasegawa was named the Times County Player of the Year as a freshman. The fearless phenom suffered her only two losses of the season in the postseason, and that was to the eventual Class 2A state champion and the runner-up.

In the regular season, she didn't drop a set as she ripped through the county's best, including O'Connor.

Hasegawa is not the only one who has left the county's tennis courts. Zephyrhills' Catherina Vordemfelde, a German exchange student who took on the Bulldogs' No. 1 spot last season, did not return. Two others, River Ridge's Ashley Cappadona and Saddlebrook Prep's Alina Sullivan, graduated.

That leaves a slew of players scrambling to take their place.

The most qualified is O'Connor.

Two years ago, O'Connor, then a sophomore, went 17-0 at No. 1 singles and teamed with Rebecca Arico to go 16-1 at No. 1 doubles during the regular season.

She spent the summer of 2003 competing in United States Tennis Association events in Ohio, where she believed tougher competition would make her that much more unbeatable as a junior.

But Hasegawa proved a formidable opponent.

Hasegawa solidified herself as the county's new dominant public-school player in the district tournament last season, sweeping defending champion O'Connor and Vordemfelde. She lost just two games in four sets.

O'Connor counted on competing against Hasegawa this season and spent another summer in Ohio playing USTA events.

"The biggest thing I wanted to work on was my aggressiveness and being more consistent," O'Connor said. "That's something I would need whether Yumi was here or not."

[Last modified February 25, 2005, 00:52:18]