PR’s Greenwald keeps cool in final

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CARY – On a calm, hot day at the IHSA Cary-Grove Boys Tennis Sectional, players’ stamina was put to the test as three of the four matches for first and third place went to three sets.

In the singles championship Saturday, Prairie Ridge’s Craig Greenwald defeated C-G’s Chris Federighi, 4-6, 6-2, 6-4, in a rematch of the Fox Valley Conference title match a week earlier. The top four places at sectionals qualify for the IHSA State Finals, which begin Thursday in and around Arlington Heights.

Federighi, who was hampered with injuries at conference, gave Greenwald all he could handle and even appeared to have the match in hand in the third set. After going up, 3-0, to start the third set, Federighi dropped six of the next seven games to take the loss. Passing shots that were getting past Greenwald earlier he began returning for winners.

“I got up, 3-0, and I think I let down a little,” Federighi said. “He’s awesome at the net.”

Both players battled the heat in temperatures that reached the mid 80s – something they had not seen in matches all season. Greenwald said after getting down in the third he tried to pump himself up and find his legs again.

“It was a hot one today,” Greenwald said. “I was just trying to energize myself. I started to come to the net more.”

Also qualifying for state were Crystal Lake Central’s Tyler George and Tommy Nelson. George defeated Nelson in the third place match, 0-6, 6-3, 7-5. Tigers coach Kerry Parrish said playing multiple matches was good preparation for state.

“Today was a really long day,” she said. “That’s what Thursday is going to be like.”

In doubles, Prairie Ridge and Crystal Lake South qualified two teams each for state. Mitch MacArthur and Matt Miller won the sectional title for the Wolves, defeating South’s Cam Laktash and Jared Favaro, 6-2, 6-3. The Gators’ Kenny Dolan and Scott Subak captured third place, defeating Brandon Curtis and Quinn Revak of Prairie Ridge, 4-6, 7-6, 6-3.

Laktash and Favaro were South’s top two singles players in the regular season but teamed up for sectionals. Gators coach Don Nead said he felt that there was a better chance of getting both of them to state as a doubles team.

“We wanted to get two doubles teams to state, and we were able to accomplish that,” Nead said.

MacArthur and Miller needed a three-set win against Dolan and Subak in the semifinals to advance. Both Wolves said that getting challenged and then going on to win will give them confidence heading into state.

“Especially in that last one, we showed up to play,” MacArthur said.

Prairie Ridge won the team title with 30 points. Crystal Lake Central and Crystal Lake South tied for second with 17.

Larkin Sectional: At Elgin, Jacobs’ Tom Schreiner lost in the third-place match to Elgin Academy’s Christian Lynn, 6-1, 6-7, 6-2, to take fourth and qualify for state. Jacobs finished fourth with 14 points. Barrington won with 30 points.

Lakes Sectional: At Lake Villa, Mitch Granger finished second for Grayslake Central, losing in the championship match to Lake Forest’s Sam Winkler, 6-4, 6-4. The Rams finished second with 20 points behind Lake Forest with 36. Johnsburg finished with eight points and Grayslake North had four.