EAGLE HARBOR - A "discussed" point and an overtime set proved exciting tennis for two Fleming Island teens who were embarking on a shot at the title at the Tennis4Cancer doubles tennis tournament finals staged Sunday, April 27 at the Eagle Harbor Tennis Complex.
Katie Baird, a sophomore at Fleming Island High School, and Stephanie Axne, just an eighth grader at Green Cove Junior High, both got tested in their finals match against Jacksonville tennis veterans; one an eight time Tennis4Cancer champion, to emerge with a 10-8 overtime championship final win after two set of 6-4 by both pairs set the final game in motion.
"We had the one blip in the game with a call on the score and whether a ball was in or out and, I think, at first, it shook us, but we got our minds right and played our game," said Baird. "We were talking about the fact that they had a lot more experience in these types of tournaments and that we had to just play our game."
Baird had just completed her region playoffs with the Fleming Island High girls tennis team a few days prior, took control of the overtime match; a first to reach 10 points and win by two format, with a 5-2 early advantage before the pair of Michelle Reid, the eight time Tennis4Cancer champion, and Cindy Haines buckled down and to tie the match at 6-6 with long, controlled volleys aimed at forcing their young foes to create an unforced error.
"We knew if they were here, they were going to be good players," said Reid.
In the final points, Baird executed a laser backhand for a 7-6 lead that Baird and Axne never relinquished as their lead got to 9-6.
Reid, with the eye of a champion, threw down two unreturnable serves to close the gap to 9-8 before Axne finished the match with a reached volley that was not returned.
Reid and Haines took the first set 6-4 with a look that was more befuddling to the Baird and Axne attack, but Baird noted they adjusted while Reid was cognizant of the serves of their younger counterparts.
"They can hit the ball for sure, but I think it took them the first set to figure out how to hit our balls back that were coming at a different speed and angle than their high school level competition," said Reid. "We tried to keep them off balance knowing we probably were got going to overpower them. I think they were sending shots back that were a lot different than what we see at our level; way different, like good top spin."
Axne acknowledged that there were unforced errors on their part in the first set.
"They were good at hitting the ball and putting in just inside the boundaries and made us move around the court," said Axne. "We made so many mistakes in that first set, then we both kind of said, 'let's lock in'."
Tennis4Cancer director James Ellisor noted that the tournament drew more than 220 doubles pair for the three day format and that the fundraising dollars would take about a week or so to determine.
"One of the strongest fields we've had and, despite the weather, we had good play for the three days," said Ellisor.