Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

 

PORTSMOUTH — Tennis is the only sport that actually has a score that reads “love.”

Three area girls are loving the position they’re in after earning a berth in the girls’ district tennis tournament.

Meili and Minda Martin of Chesapeake won the doubles competition and South Point’s Madison Riley advanced in the Division II girls’ sectional tennis tournament held last week.

The Martin sisters beat Devon Halliday and Allie Mattey of Alexander by identical 6-0, 6-0 scores in the quarterfinals, then downed Sheridan McClain and Madison Patrick of Waverly 6-1, 6-0.

In the title match, the Martins swept Katie O’Neill and Jessica Schmidt of Portmsouth Notre Dame in straight sets, 6-2, 6-1.

Riley advanced when she finished as the runner-up in singles play to Ali Miller of Portsmouth.

Riley beat Kelly Speirs of Logan Elm 6-1, 6-0 and swept Kari Willard of Logan Elm 6-0, 6-1 in the semifinals before falling to Miller 6-2, 6-1.

The district tournament will be Wednesday at Ohio University. The top two finishers qualify for the state tournament.

Girls Division II

Southeast Sectional Tennis Tournament

Singles

Quarterfinals

Ali Miller (P) def. Melinda Wise (WCH) 6-0, 6-0

Beatriz Hernandez (W) def. Sarah Nestor (WCH) 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (tiebreak)

Kari Willard (LE) def. Molly Richards (WCH) 6-4, 6-1

Madison Riley (SP) def. Kelly Speirs (LE) 6-1, 6-0

Semifinals

Miller (P) def. Hernandez (W) 6-0, 6-0

Riley (SP) def. Willard (LE) 6-0, 6-1

Finals

Miller (P) def. Riley (SP) 6-2, 6-1

Third-Place Match

Willard (LE) def. Hernandez (W) 6-2, 6-1

Consolation Matches

Nestor (WCH) def. Wise (WCH) 6-1, 6-2

Richards (WCH) def. Speirs (LE) 3-6, 6-4, 6-2

Fifth-Place Match

Richards (WCH) def. Nestor (WCH) injury default

Doubles

Quarterfinals

Katie O’Neill/Jessica Schmidt (ND) def. Allison Raies/Sarah Raies (P) 6-1, 6-3

Josie Cobb/Deidre McKay (MT) def. Chloe Sollars/Katie Willard (LE) 6-3, 6-2

Meili Martin/Minda Martin (C) def. Devon Halliday/Allie Mattey (A) 6-0, 6-0

Sheridan McClain/Madison Patrick (W) def. Amanda Ferguson/Madison Miller (M) 6-1, 6-0

Semifinals

O’Neill/Schmidt (ND) def. Cobb/McKay (MT) 6-0, 6-4

Martin/Martin (C) def. McClain/Patrick (W) 6-1, 6-0

Finals

Martin/Martin (C) def. O’Neill/Schmidt (ND) 6-2, 6-1

Third-Place Match

McClain/Patrick (W) def. Cobb/McKay (MT) 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (10-8)

Consolation Matches

Sollars/Willard (LE) def. Raies/Raies (P) 6-2, 6-1

Ferguson/Miller (M) def. Halliday/Mattey (A) 2-6, 6-2, 7-6

Fifth-Place Match

Sollars/Willard (LE) def. Ferguson/Miller (M) 6-2, 6-1