During the second set of her first match Thursday, Fairview’s Anna Tuchman began to worry it could be the last time she played high school tennis.
But Tuchman and No. 1 doubles partner Chelsea Moore, both seniors, lived to play another day by beating a favored Columbine team in the first round and Air Academy in the quarterfinals.
Those were the first victories for the pair at the Class 5A girls state tennis tournament, played at the Gates Tennis Center.
“We just wanted to keep going out there and play tennis,” Tuchman said. “We don’t want it to end.”
Tuchman and Moore lost in three sets in the first round last year, and Moore had been chasing that elusive first victory since her freshman year, when she first qualified.
“It was pretty exciting to finally get that first win,” Moore said. “Now we have a lot of momentum going into the semifinals.”
Cherry Creek, winner of 14 of the past 16 team titles, has plenty of momentum heading into today’s semifinals. The Bruins advanced all seven positions through the first two rounds and lead with 14 points. Fort Collins is in second place and Air Academy, home to defending state champions Tabatha and Tiffany Knop, sits in third place.
Tabatha Knop, state champion at No. 2 singles last year and now playing at No. 1, cruised through her first two matches with scores of 6-0, 6-0 and 6-1, 6-1. Tiffany Knop, No. 3 singles champion last year, followed suit at the No. 2 position with two 6-1, 6-0 victories.
“Everything with my game is going good for me right now,” Tiffany Knop said. “I feel a little bit more pressure this year with not being the underdog. But I know what to expect now, having been here before.”
The Knops will attend the University of Northern Colorado next year.
The third installment of the Knop family, 14-year-old Kenzie Knop, teamed with Sindhya Shoptaugh at No. 1 doubles. The pair won the first match but dropped the second to Fairview.
A number of underclassmen were unfazed by the 30-team tournament, cruising through the first day of competition.
Fairview freshman Carolyn Warren dropped the first set in both of her No. 3 singles matches but rallied to move on to the semifinals.
Cherry Creek sophomore Rachel Loeb tore through the first two rounds with 6-0, 6-0 victories at No. 2 singles, and teammate Elizabeth Marsico, a freshman, dropped just one set in her two matches.
Though the big points come by winning the semifinal matches, Cherry Creek is in good position to win its ninth consecutive title.
Greer Satherlie moved through at No. 1 singles, and all four doubles teams advanced to complete a perfect day. The No. 1 doubles team of Christina Macey and Stacey Berlinger teamed up for the first time this season, but they brought with them as much winning history as is possible for a sophomore and junior.
Macey won a title at No. 1 doubles as a freshman and another at No. 2 doubles as a sophomore. Berlinger won at No. 3 doubles last year.
“I like playing with Stacey,” Macey said. “We have similar games and we both like to play at the net. Also, she is really competitive and she never gives up.”
The finals will be played at 9 a.m. Saturday.
