SYRACUSE - First, Claire Minnoe clinched a spot in the state tennis championship.
Chet Susslin / The Citizen
Auburn eighth-grader Claire Minnoe serves in the Section III girls tennis state qualifier against top seed Christina Douglas, of Manlius Pebble Hill High School on Tuesday evening.
Auburn eighth-grader Claire Minnoe serves in the Section III girls tennis state qualifier against top seed Christina Douglas, of Manlius Pebble Hill High School on Tuesday evening.
Then, she got a live look at what her competition might be like.
The Auburn eighth-grader easily handled Skaneateles' Amrita Deol, 6-1, 6-1, in the semifinals of the Section III State Tennis Qualifier, Tuesday in Syracuse. The win qualified Minnoe for states, which will be played Nov. 8 in Syracuse.
The only thing left was to earn the top qualifying spot in Section III, and to do that Minnoe would have to go through Manlius Pebble Hill's Christina Douglas, a senior and a three-time state qualifier.
Douglas made few mistakes, won the big points and kept Minnoe on the run in a 6-2, 6-1 victory.
“It gives Claire a good idea of what type of players she's going to see at states,” Auburn coach Shelly Connors said.
In her eight years as Auburn's head coach, Connors hasn't had a player advance to the state tournament. Though she's not even in high school yet, Connors believes there are plenty of benefits to Minnoe's youth.
“It helps because she's got so much time to learn and to get better,” Connors said. “Every experience like this one is a great opportunity.” Last season, Minnoe was beaten in the first round of the state qualifier, an experience she used as motivation during the offseason. With the extra work, Minnoe believes she's improved her consistency and her serve since last fall.
“I've worked really hard on my serve - I've got more power now,” Minnoe said.
In the semifinals, Minnoe never lost a serve and kept Deol on her heels with hard-hit returns.
“I feel like I played pretty good,” she said. “My forehand and backhand felt really good.”
But in the finals, it was clear who had the experience. Douglas' play was steady and she won many of her points on recovery shots.
“Her best shot is her defensive lob,” Connors said of Douglas. “It's so deep you can't do anything with it.”
Minnoe, who plays in USTA events over the summer, expects to face some of the same girls at states that she faced in USTA tournaments.
“Hopefully I can win a round or two,” Minnoe said.
In other tennis action, Skaneateles had two opportunities to qualify for states but couldn't pull it off. After losing to Minnoe, Deol lost to Baldwinsville's Becky Guzzo in the consolation finals and lost out on the final state berth. Coincidentally, it was Guzzo who lost to Minnoe in the Section III, Class AA championship match.
In doubles play, the Lakers' Katherine Hill and Leigh Ryan lost in the semis to Fayetteville-Manlius and in the consolation match to Liverpool.
The Auburn eighth-grader easily handled Skaneateles' Amrita Deol, 6-1, 6-1, in the semifinals of the Section III State Tennis Qualifier, Tuesday in Syracuse. The win qualified Minnoe for states, which will be played Nov. 8 in Syracuse.
The only thing left was to earn the top qualifying spot in Section III, and to do that Minnoe would have to go through Manlius Pebble Hill's Christina Douglas, a senior and a three-time state qualifier.
Douglas made few mistakes, won the big points and kept Minnoe on the run in a 6-2, 6-1 victory.
“It gives Claire a good idea of what type of players she's going to see at states,” Auburn coach Shelly Connors said.
In her eight years as Auburn's head coach, Connors hasn't had a player advance to the state tournament. Though she's not even in high school yet, Connors believes there are plenty of benefits to Minnoe's youth.
“It helps because she's got so much time to learn and to get better,” Connors said. “Every experience like this one is a great opportunity.” Last season, Minnoe was beaten in the first round of the state qualifier, an experience she used as motivation during the offseason. With the extra work, Minnoe believes she's improved her consistency and her serve since last fall.
“I've worked really hard on my serve - I've got more power now,” Minnoe said.
In the semifinals, Minnoe never lost a serve and kept Deol on her heels with hard-hit returns.
“I feel like I played pretty good,” she said. “My forehand and backhand felt really good.”
But in the finals, it was clear who had the experience. Douglas' play was steady and she won many of her points on recovery shots.
“Her best shot is her defensive lob,” Connors said of Douglas. “It's so deep you can't do anything with it.”
Minnoe, who plays in USTA events over the summer, expects to face some of the same girls at states that she faced in USTA tournaments.
“Hopefully I can win a round or two,” Minnoe said.
In other tennis action, Skaneateles had two opportunities to qualify for states but couldn't pull it off. After losing to Minnoe, Deol lost to Baldwinsville's Becky Guzzo in the consolation finals and lost out on the final state berth. Coincidentally, it was Guzzo who lost to Minnoe in the Section III, Class AA championship match.
In doubles play, the Lakers' Katherine Hill and Leigh Ryan lost in the semis to Fayetteville-Manlius and in the consolation match to Liverpool.
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