Lewiston’s No. 2 doubles player Jillian Pelletier hits a backhand during Saturday’s match against Camden Hills. (Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal)

LEWISTON — The Lewiston girls’ Class A had won three out of four matches, so their regional semifinal tennis match against Camden Hills has long been decided.

That didn’t diminish what happened in the third singles match between Lewiston’s Roslynn Wailus and Chloe Fordyce.

The pair battled like their match was the deciding point of the overall match. Fordyce took the first set 6-4 before Wailus took the second set 7-5.

Neither gave in during the final set. Wailus took a 3-0 lead before Fordyce battled and took a lead. Wailus fought back to take the match into a third-set tiebreaker.

The showdown became a race to seven points and to win by at least two points. The tiebreaker went back and forth, seven points were in the rearview mirror for both players. Wailrus finally prevailed, winning the tiebreaker 12-10 and the set 7-6.

Wailrus received a simple message from coach Anita Murphy to keep going.

“Just like Mem said, it’s the cherry on top that makes it better,” Wailrus said.

Wailrus certainly put the cherry on top as the Blue Devils defeated the Windjammers 4-1 to reach Tuesday’s regional final against Brunswick at Colby College at 1 p.m.

“I am so glad that it didn’t come down to that point,” Anita Murphy said. “Not only for us, but Camden Hills. It would have been kind of sad for them to lose it that way.

“I am glad (Wailus and Fordyce) stayed in there and fought it out point-for-point. They never gave up, either one of them.”

The turning point of the day came in second doubles. Lewiston’s Jillian Pelletier and Amy Sperandio were down in the first set 1-4 to Eliza Brown and Celine Barden, but they rallied to win the next five games and take the opening set 6-4.

Pelletier and Sperandio won 11 games in a row and took the second set 6-0.

“It was a little iffy in the first set, but we were down one-four and we decided to work, work together and play smart,” Pelletier said.

In first doubles, Lewiston’s Molly Chicoine and Maddy Foster handed Claire Pierce and Kaylyn Krel’s their first loss of the season as a team. Chicoine and Foster won 6-3 in both sets.

“Maddy and I like to go cross-court and set up the net person really well,” Chicoine said. “That’s what we like to do the most, so having her back and making those shots for me to slam at the net and me making shots for her to slam at the net felt good. We got in a rhythm.”

The Windjammers earned their lone point in No. 1 singles, as Kassie Krul defeated Abby Svor 6-1 and 6-4. Svor, who missed Thursday’s match against Cony with an illness, was still feeling under the weather Saturday.

Her sister Julia Svor took No. 2 singles match from Naomi Landry 6-2, 6-0.

Murphy said despite the 4-1 final, the No. 4 Windjammers provided a good test going forward.

“(They) had girls missing throughout the season, which is kind of sad,” Murphy said. “Had (they) had this team all the way through, (they) would probably facing us in the next round.”

nfournier@sunjournal.com

Lewiston’s No. 2 singles player Julia Svor serves during Saturday morning’s match against Camden Hills. (Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal)

Lewiston’s No. 1 singles player Abby Svor hits a backhand during Saturday morning’s match against Camden Hills. (Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal) 

Lewiston’s Roslynn Wailus follows through on a forehand during her match against Camden Hills. (Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal) 

Lewiston’s No. 1 doubles player Molly Chicoine serves during Saturday’s match against Camden Hills. (Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal)

Lewiston’s No. 1 doubles player Maddy Foster hits a backhand during Saturday’s match against Camden Hills. (Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal)

Lewiston’s Abby Svor hits a backhand during Saturday morning’s match against Camden Hills. (Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal)

Lewiston’s Amy Sperandio hits a serve during Saturday’s match against Camden Hills. (Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal)

Lewiston High School Coach Anita Murphy talks with Roslynn Wailus, right and Abby Svor between sets. (Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal)

Lewiston’s Abby Svor tosses a ball during a serve Saturday morning’ during her match against Camden Hills. (Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal) 

Lewiston Athletic Director Jason Fuller talks with a dejected Abby Svor after losing her No. 1 singles match Saturday morning. (Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal)

Copy the Story Link