Tennis Results
Duan, a Sanford School sophomore who started playing varsity in eighth grade, won her third straight championship at girls first singles with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Tower Hill junior Lucy Nutting at the University of Delaware Field House courts. The two were playing in the final for the third straight year.
Beneck, a Wilmington Friends junior, won 6-1, 6-2 over St. Andrew's senior Mark Wieland. Beneck was defending champ.
Cramping was a factor for the second straight day. A day after Wieland cramped up during the semifinals, Nutting cramped up in both legs during the second set Wednesday. She pushed a 10-minute grace period to the brink before returning to play, still giving her all in winning some prolonged points against Duan. But on others, Duan hit winners when Nutting just couldn't race across the court and make the return.
"Just to gut it out and handle all that," Duan said of Nutting, "I have a lot of respect for what she did."
Duan is 51-0 in her high school career, going 15-0 this season. Nutting went 14-3 this season, losing to Duan. Defaulting the match never crossed her mind.
"There was no way I was going to quit," the ever-competitive Nutting said. "I just won't do that."========
Archmere's girls title was not sealed until Duan defeated Nutting, the final girls match. Both Archmere and Tower Hill had entries in three brackets, meeting heads up only at first doubles, where the Hillers' Annie Hobbs and Sarah Garland won 6-4, 6-0 against the previously undefeated Auks duo of Bridget Sauer and Alison Celello.Hobbs and Garland were second doubles champs a year ago, and their match Wednesday was not easy as it went to deuce eight times.
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Tower Hill senior Lucy McMurray won the girls third singles title, going 17-0 this season after a 6-4, 6-4 win against St. Andrew's sophomore Kristina Kassis.
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STATE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS
BOYS
Team standings: 1-St. Andrew's 21, 2-Wilm. Friends 17, 3-Dover 14, 4-Tower Hill 13, 5-Tatnall 12, 6-Salesianum 9, 7-(tie) Seaford, St. Mark's 7, 9-(tie) Brandywine, Caeasar Rodney, Charter of Wilmington 6.
First singles: (1) Troy Beneck (WF) def. (6) Mark Wieland (SA) 6-1, 6-2. Second singles: (1) Andrew Blake (Sal) def. (3) Travis Peck (WF) 6-3, 6-4. Third singles: (1) Alex Matulas (Tat) def. (3) Pujan Dave (Dov) 6-3, 6-4.
First doubles: (1) Will Plautz/Carter Lovejoy (SA) def. (3) Daniel Rakes/Vybav Hiresave (Dov) 6-1, 6-2. Second doubles: (1) Alex Lynch/Arthur Gosnell (SA) def. (3) Brian Felzer/Konnor Houff (TH) 7-5, 7-6 (7-3).
GIRLS
Team standings: 1-Archmere 20, 2-Tower Hill 19, 3-Brandywine 16, 4-(tie) Caesar Rodney, St. Andrew's 12, 6-Sanford 10, 7-Seaford 8, 8-(tie) Dover, Middletown, St. Mark's 6.
First singles: (1) Cindy Duan (San) def. (2) Lucy Nutting (TH) 6-2, 6-2. Second singles: (1) Amy Zhu (Arch) def. (2) Dylan Barton (CR) 6-0, 6-1. Third singles: (1) Lucy McMurry (TH) def. (6) Kristina Kassis (SA) 6-4, 6-4.
First doubles: (3) Annie Hobbs/Sarah Garland (TH) def. (1) Bridget Sauer/Alison Celello (Arch) 6-4, 6-0. Second doubles: (2) Becca Boova/Hillary Boova (B) def. (5) Abby Lamb/Cassie McAllister (Arch) 2-6, 6-3, 6-2.
