South Meck doubles team falls in N.C. 4A championship round

RALEIGH -- Melissa Kandinata of Cary Green Hope turned in a strong Saturday performance to take the state singles title in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 4-A women's tennis tournament championships at the Millbrook Exchange Park.

Kandinata downed Lauren Frazier of Greenville Rose in the championship match, 6-1, 6-4, after eliminating Grace Baker of Charlotte Myers Park in a tough morning semifinal. Kandinata lost the first set to Baker 6-2 but stormed back to win in straight sets at love as the momentum switched completely.

Baker dropped only four games in four sets on Friday and was seeking her fourth consecutive berth in the state singles final. The Myers Park standout was the singles runner-up last year to Chloe Willetts of Winston-Salem R. J Reynolds, who did not compete in this year's tournament due to injury.

Baker was the 2008 state singles champ and runner-up in 2007 as a freshman.

In doubles, the sister duo of Katie and Maggie Kane of Raleigh Broughton battled through a tough three-set match to take the title over South Mecklenburg's Abby Segodnia and Samantha Forlenza by scores of 6-2, 4-6, 6-3. Katie Kane teamed with Asha Iyengar in 2009 to win the doubles crown.

The South Meck pair had earned their way into the finals with a three-set victory in the morning semifinals over the Wilmington Hoggard duo of McKayla Zupan and Elizabeth Hodges.

NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
2010 STATE 4-A WOMEN'S TENNIS TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIPS

Millbrook Exchange Park, Raleigh--Saturday Results

SINGLES SEMIFINALS
Lauren Frazier (Greenville Rose) def. Grace Baker (Charlotte Myers Park) 2-6, 6-0, 6-0; Melissa Kandinata (Cary Green Hope) def. Natsuko Takayangi (Northwest Guilford) 6-4, 6-2.

SINGLES CHAMPIONSHIP

Kandinata (Green Hope) def. Frazier (Rose) 6-1, 6-4.

DOUBLES SEMIFINALS

Abby Segodnia-Samantha Forlenza (South Mecklenburg) def. McKayla Zupan-Elizabeth Hodges (Wilmington Hoggard) 6-1, 2-6, 6-4; Katie Kane-Maggie Kane (Raleigh Broughton) def. Majdou Lavoie-Lauren Tuscano (Greensboro Grimsley) 6-2, 6-0.

DOUBLES CHAMPIONSHIP

K. Kane-M. Kane (Raleigh Broughton) def. Segodnia-Forlenza (South Mecklenburg) 6-2, 4-6, 6-3.