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Highlands Today

Sebring Powers Past Clewiston

Chris Hoffman/Highlands Today

Sebring’s Sheela Joshi returns a serve from Clewiston’s Amedlia Gutierrez during Monday’s season opener at Sun ‘N Lake tennis courts.

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By Christopher  Hoffman | Highlands Today

Published: February 13, 2008

SEBRING –– Mary Midence's excitement was bubbling over as she took the court on Monday with an unmistakable smile.

"I just couldn't wait to get this season underway," Midence said. "I've been really excited about this team and wanted to show what this team could do on the court against some competition besides us."

The Sebring girls tennis team saw very little in the way of competition from Clewiston, as the Streaks dispatched the Tigers 6-1 with relative ease despite windy conditions in the season opener at Sun 'N Lake tennis courts.

Midence adjusted to the weather and side-stepped the Tigers' Jaynikea McCatty, 6-2, 6-1, to kick off the season on the right foot.

"The wind was definitely an issue," Midence said. "When its this windy, you can't hit as deep, so I hit short shots to keep [McCatty] off balance. But when I hit short, the shots usually went deep anyway."

An eye was held firm on the No. 2 seed Kelsie Johnson, a sophomore with a powerful backhand, who downed Delianys Morera, 6-0, 6-2, and won high praise from Midence, who's had many spirited matches against her teammate.

"[Kelsie] has an amazing cross-court shot and is just a strong player," the Sebring senior said. "The last time we played it went into a tiebreaker. She gives me a run for my money and she's only going to get better this season."

In other singles action, No. 4 seed Ashley "JJ" Jimenez defeated Jessica Wood, 6-1, 6-1, and No. 5 seed Alyssa Kariofyllis beat Marla Teixeira, 6-0, 6-1, while No. 2 seed Sheela Joshi fell to Amedlia Gutierrez 2-6, 4-6.

Joshi dropped the first set due to a cumbersome amount of unforced errors, but held her own in the second set, forcing the action and coming to the net to put pressure on Gutierrez before losing in straight sets.

"She was really nervous before her match, and she played nervous in the beginning," said Sebring head coach Jane Hollinger. "Her game really picked up in the second set and it's an experience we can build on."

In doubles, the team of Midence and Johnson downed McCatty and Guiterrez 8-3 and the team of Joshi and Jimenez won 8-0 over Morera and Wood in an eight-game pro set.

The real test for the Streaks will be against Class 4A-District 10 foe Booker, when they travel to Sarasota on Thursday to face the Tornadoes.

"[Booker] is always a tough team for us," Midence said. "That match will give us a gauge and see where we are this season."

BOYS TENNIS: Streaks Pounce On Tigers

Sophomore Mike Reed only had himself to blame for his exasperating match against Clewiston's Josh Daniels on Monday.

"The first set I was hitting good shots and playing my game," Reed said. "But my decision making was off in the second set and I let him get back in the match. I hit too many bad shots and forced the action a bit."

With the rest of his teammate's matches in the books, the Streaks' No. 2 seed dug deep to outwork Daniels in every phase of the game in the deciding third set, as Reed won 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 and Sebring stayed undefeated in singles play against Clewiston in the season opener at Thakker Tennis Center.

"I wasn't expecting a match like this today," said Reed, who received a congratulatory hug from head coach Jack Holt. "[Josh] hit some really good corner shots and I made some stupid mistakes. I really need to improve my second serve and make better decisions."

The Streaks were solid against the Tigers, with junior Abbi Seethafariah beating Naseef Azam 6-3, 6-2 in the No. 1 seed, while sophomore No. 3 seed Kyle Komisar used his forehand winner to perfection, dispatching Clewiston's Trinidad Reyes 6-1, 6-1 and No. 4 seed Nikhal Raghaveera downed Juan Reyes 6-3, 6-1.

Coach Holt had the look of a proud father when asked about the maturation process his young team is undertaking.

"I'm very surprised and pleased at how this team played," Holt said. "I'm please at the shots made and their technique. I chose shots for them that I wanted them to use and they did.

"This team really listens to what I'm saying and are very coachable. That's the mark of a good team."

Vihang Nakhate kept the Streaks undefeated by beating Jeremiah Hagan 6-1, 6-2.

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