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Cusick-Lorenzini wins all Hinsdale Central sectional final
Hinsdale Central seniors Caroline Lorenzini (left) and Marika Cusick played doubles together during the tennis sectional semifinals at Lyons Township High School South Campus in Western Springs on Saturday, Oct. 13, 2012. | Ryan Pagelow~Sun-Times Media
Updated: October 23, 2012 3:18PM
COUNTRYSIDE — Tiffany Chen and Katie Lee have only played five matches together, but Hinsdale Central’s No. 2 doubles team pulled off a mighty upset in the Lyons Sectional Saturday.
Chen and Lee fell behind 3-0 in the first set, then rallied to beat the defending state runner-up of Alexia Petrovic and Alysa Straub from Nazareth, 7-6, 7-6, in the semifinals of doubles play.
The match started Saturday morning at Lyons’ south campus in Western Springs, but due to rain showers, play was moved indoors to the Score Tennis and Fitness Center in Countryside.
Chen, a senior, and Lee, a junior, took some advice from coach Robin Kramer in completing an improbable comeback.
“Coach said, ‘Play to win. Do not play to lose,’ ” Lee said she was told at the end of the first set.
Chen and Lee have played on-and-off as doubles partners over the past three years, but were able to use their chemistry to keep Petrovic and Straub out of rhythm.
The Nazareth duo did not adjust well to moving indoors.
“I don’t think we played our best,” Straub said. “We had to change from outdoors to indoors. It was 5-all in the first set (before the rain).”
Straub and Petrovic will make their third state meet appearance together. They have a 6-1 record this season after playing much of year at singles.
Two-time state champions Marika Cusick and Caroline Lorenzini of Hinsdale Central beat Chen and Lee 6-4, 6-3 for the sectional title. Cusick won her four sectional title at doubles after winning with Kristy Hamilton as a freshman.
Hinsdale Central took its 28th consecutive sectional title and also advanced singles players Alex Solovyev and Sophia Haleas.
Straub and Petrovic beat Hinsdale South’s Emma Adcock and Andrea Wakim in the third place match.
Pick up your local Pioneer Press newspaper on Thursday to read more about the Hinsdale Central and Hinsdale South girls tennis teams.
