For a while, Baldwinsville girls tennis singles player Brooke Tutor appeared to be closing in on a chance to earn a spot in this weekend’s New York State Public High School Athletic Association tournament.
Yet that quest was derailed in the quarterfinal round of last Tuesday’s Section III state qualifier at Drumlins, where Tutor breezed through her early play, only to get caught and passed.
Unseeded going into the tournament, Tutor drew Christian Brothers Academy’s Grace Glowaki in the first round. It didn’t last too long, Tutor dominating the match and handling Glowaki 6-1, 6-0.
After a brief rest, it was on to the quarterfinals, where Tutor took on Utica-Notre Dame’s Ellen Lyga, one half of a talented Jugglers duo with sister Emily Lyga that had helped the team win the sectional Class C team tournament.
In the first set, Tutor continued her great play from the round before, routing Lyga 6-1. Here, though, things turned as Lyga took advantage of Tutor’s mistakes and won the second set 6-3, going on to take the third set by that same 6-3 margin.
Had Tutor held on, she would have received two chances to win one more match, since the top three singles players and doubles teams would make it to Latham for the state tournament.
Instead, Lyga moved on, losing in the semifinal, but beating Fayetteville-Manlius’ Anna Manta 6-2, 6-7, 7-5 to earn the third and final state tournament berth, joining F-M’s Katerina Atallah and Christian Brothers Academy’s Gieselle Vlassis.
CBA also had the doubles team of Grace Coyne and Grace DelPino, advance, joining West Genesee’s Mikayla Mannara and Katie Viau, plus Oneida’s Sydney Lusher and Lauren Skibitski.
