MADISON - Monroe juniors Ellie Grossen and Chandra McGuire won their first match at the WIAA Division 2 state tennis tournament to advance to today's second round.
The Cheesemakers' No. 1 doubles tandem defeated Altoona's Rachel Rosemore and Isabel McDaniel 6-1, 7-5 Thursday night at the University of Wisconsin's Nielsen Tennis Stadium. Grossen and McGuire won the first seven points to cruise to the victory in the first set.
"They were playing to win and being aggressive," Monroe coach Brad Saugstad said. "It definitely set the tone."
The duo ran into a jam in the second set, though, causing some tense moments.
"Winning a match at state isn't easy," Saugstad said. "We hit some nerves and we started playing to lose."
Grossen and McGuire (20-6) will play the No. 1 seed in senior Abby Halla and freshman Tallie Piaskowski of Roncalli at 12:30 p.m. today. The Roncalli duo is 28-0, but Saugstad said even though it will be a challenge, Grossen and McGuire have the feeling of playing a match at state.
"This will be (Halla and Piaskowski's) first match at state and one of the players is a freshman," Saugstad said. "(Grossen and McGuire) have no pressure against a No. 1 seed. You never know what will happen if you get the lead."
The Cheesemakers' No. 1 doubles tandem defeated Altoona's Rachel Rosemore and Isabel McDaniel 6-1, 7-5 Thursday night at the University of Wisconsin's Nielsen Tennis Stadium. Grossen and McGuire won the first seven points to cruise to the victory in the first set.
"They were playing to win and being aggressive," Monroe coach Brad Saugstad said. "It definitely set the tone."
The duo ran into a jam in the second set, though, causing some tense moments.
"Winning a match at state isn't easy," Saugstad said. "We hit some nerves and we started playing to lose."
Grossen and McGuire (20-6) will play the No. 1 seed in senior Abby Halla and freshman Tallie Piaskowski of Roncalli at 12:30 p.m. today. The Roncalli duo is 28-0, but Saugstad said even though it will be a challenge, Grossen and McGuire have the feeling of playing a match at state.
"This will be (Halla and Piaskowski's) first match at state and one of the players is a freshman," Saugstad said. "(Grossen and McGuire) have no pressure against a No. 1 seed. You never know what will happen if you get the lead."
