It is not uncommon for the team race at the Class 5A state tennis tournament to come down to the final day, when an extra point here or there collected during a playback match often proves as critical as the more high-profile matches being contested in the championship brackets.
When the state tournament pairings were released Monday, however, one particular showdown in the No. 1 singles draw turned heads. The state tournaments begin on Thursday — the 5A event will be held at the Gates Tennis Center in Denver and the 4A tournament will be held at City Park in Pueblo — and, remarkably, the 5A team race could come down to the result of one of the opening-round matches in the No. 1 singles draw.
Right out of the gate,
Eli Winegardner of
Fairview (Boulder) and
Dan Steinhauser of
Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village) will square off in a first-round showdown. The duo battled through an epic three-set match in a dual meet three weeks ago, and their result could play a huge role in whether the Knights can dethrone the defending champs from Cherry Creek.
Colorado state tennis pairings (click the Draws tab) "We'll see how Day 1 comes out," said Cherry Creek coach Kirk Price, whose program has won state titles in 10 of the past 11 years. "Except for No. 1 singles, I think the draws are pretty even all the way through. It's kind of a shame that Day 1, Match 1 could decide the final outcome. But it could determine the team race."
Due to the set up of the 5A No. 1 singles bracket, an unusual amount of pressure might be on the collective shoulders of Steinhauser and Winegardner, who defeated the Cherry Creek senior in a third-set tiebreaker three weeks ago.
Because both players will be hard-pressed to record a victory against their likely second-round foe, 2010 No. 1 singles state champion
Spencer Weinberg of
Grand Junction, the loser may be denied an opportunity to contribute any points to his team's final total.
"Someone always gets beat in the early rounds who shouldn't lose," Price said. "It seems to happen every year."
While Fairview,
Regis Jesuit (Aurora) and Grand Junction take their shots at dethroning Cherry Creek,
Highlands Ranch senior
Hayden Sabatka will be looking to make history at No. 1 singles.
The defending state champion, who foiled Weinberg's repeat bid in the No. 1 singles final last year, is hoping to become the 21st repeat, big-school No. 1 singles champion in state history since the inception of the state tournament in 1927. (The tournament was not split into different classifications until 1990.)
"I think my skill level overall has gotten better since last year," said Sabatka, whose undefeated record includes a 5-0 mark this season against other entrants in the 5A No. 1 singles draw. "My serve has definitely gotten bigger. The key is to not think too much and start getting into the idea that ‘Aw, I have to repeat.' I just have to keep my cool, play every point of every match, and not think too much about it."
In the 4A state tournament,
Cheyenne Mountain (Colorado Springs) will be playing for its third consecutive team title. David Mitchell of
Kent Denver (Englewood) will attempt to become the first repeat 4A No. 1 singles champion since former Sun Devils standout Cory Ross achieved the feat in 1998-99.
