State tennis: Fairview's Roth, Brakhage to compete for singles titles on Saturday
May 10—DENVER — The sun smiled down on Fairview's Jane Roth as she stepped up to the net to shake hands with her semifinal opponent during the Class 5A state tennis tournament at City Park on Friday morning.
The cloudy and dreary conditions that marred her entire No. 2 singles match against Fossil Ridge's Irene Cobos broke as soon as she won. Almost like it was a good omen for what awaits her in her state championship appearance on Saturday.
The Fairview senior needed three sets to get the job done after Cobos staged a valiant comeback in the second. She won the first set with a 6-3 final, then led 4-1 in the second before Cobos stampeded back to split at 6-4.
Roth decided then and there that she was done entertaining Cobos, and breezed to a 6-0 victory to set herself up for a date with Cherry Creek's Jisele Boker in the championship. They'll face off at 9 a.m. on Saturday.
"During the first set, she was kind of hitting through the ball and hitting angles," Roth explained. "I was just countering that really well, and I was able to kind of get to the net and finish the points.
"In the second set, she started lobbing and getting more balls in play, deep in the court. I didn't really know what to do, and I kind of lost my mind a little bit. But in the third set, I knew I just had to grind it out, go to the net if I needed to and finish the points like that. Once I started playing good, I was just on a roll, and I kept going."
Just a few months earlier, Roth didn't know she'd be playing a singles line at all, much less be vying for a state crown in one. A season-ending injury to the Knights' reigning 1 singles champion, Quinn Bernthal, split her and fellow senior Maya Brakhage up during their final rodeo.
The pair excelled at 2 doubles over the past two years, winning back-to-back state championships. They expected to finish out their high school experience at each other's side. Instead, they've been cheering each other on from the sidelines.
"It's been a little interesting, just because high school singles is very different from (United States Tennis Association) singles," Brakhage said. "It's honestly a lot more competitive. There's a lot more riding on it."
Brakhage spent the first part of her Friday match rooting on Roth from nearby bleachers, all while waiting for her own assigned 3 singles court to dry off from earlier rain. Once she was finally able to begin her own match against Cherry Creek's Zoe Hochstadt, she wasted no time putting an end to it.
Brakhage only surrendered three games (6-2, 6-1) and ended up finishing her match before Roth did. Of course, she then reverted back to her earlier duty as cheerleader. She said her evolution as a singles player over the past few weeks only helped strengthen her resolve.
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Fairview's Maya Brakhage competes against Cherry Creek's Zoe Hochstadt during...
Fairview's Maya Brakhage competes against Cherry Creek's Zoe Hochstadt during Friday's state championship semifinals in Denver. (Alissa Noe/BoCoPreps.com)
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Fairview's Maya Brakhage competes against Cherry Creek's Zoe Hochstadt during...
Fairview's Maya Brakhage competes against Cherry Creek's Zoe Hochstadt during the Class 5A No. 3 singles state semifinals at Denver City Park on May 10, 2024. (Alissa Noe/BoCoPreps.com)
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Fairview's Maya Brakhage competes against Cherry Creek's Zoe Hochstadt during...
Fairview's Maya Brakhage competes against Cherry Creek's Zoe Hochstadt during the Class 5A No. 3 singles state semifinals at Denver City Park on May 10, 2024. (Alissa Noe/BoCoPreps.com)
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"I would say I hit a lot more tough topspin lob balls instead of hitting out, because (Hochstadt) had a little bit of a tougher time returning those versus when I would actually hit out," Brakhage explained. "I had to hit a lot more ground strokes and keep those a lot more consistent. (In) doubles, I was able to hit a lot more volleys. I think that was the biggest thing, and making sure I could hit my serves and stay healthy."
Now, she's preparing to take on Ralston Valley's Scarlett Lutz for one last dance and a shot at state glory, as she and Roth look to close out the full circle they began drawing when they won their first state crown together two years ago.
Their coach said they've been exceptional role models for their younger peers through it all.
"They've both been some of the hardest-working players on the team this whole season," head coach Tanya Cumalat said. "They're both captains and they're fantastic team leaders. I think it just says a lot for their resilience that they were able to reset their expectations and say, 'Fine, we're not playing doubles. We're going after singles titles.'"
Elsewhere in Colorado...
Erie's Nanoha Nakamura served as the lone representative from local 4A schools to earn a bid to a state championship at the tournament down in Pueblo. She'll take on Kent Denver's Lila Moldenhauer for the No. 1 singles title after taking down her first three opponents with two sets apiece.
In 3A, Holy Family's Annabelle Kenny mastered Peak to Peak's Sydney Lewis — who won the 2 singles crown last year — with a 6-2, 6-3 decision to make her way to the 2 singles finals against Evelyn Oltmans from D'Evelyn.
Peak to Peak's Ranye Ezenekwe (3 singles) will spar with Sofia Cieslewicz, also from D'Evelyn, after knocking Prospect Ridge Academy's Shannon Schmidt out in the semis with a 6-1, 6-0 takedown.
Holy Family's Avery Alderman/Lauren Stonehocker (1 doubles) lit up their Steamboat Springs opponents in 13 games in their semifinal, meaning they'll have to prepare to battle Colorado Academy's Anna Johnson/Violet Tetzeli in the championship.
Peak to Peak's Josie Adams/Molly Kolachov, likewise, will go to war with Vail Christian's Alexa Blanch/Sabrina Nabonsal for 2 doubles glory. Holy Family's Kenna Dietz/Raelynn Pickup will round out the local championship delegation with a 3 doubles title match against Vail Christian's Carys Highum/Olivia Zajac.
