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Dazzling duo: Parker doubles team wins first match

Photo

Photo by Dan Lassiter

Parker High School #1 doubles team of Maddie Theisen, left, and Kristin Zeilinger.

MADISON — A magical season continued Thursday for Janesville Parker's No. 1 doubles team of Maddie Theisen and Kristen Zeilinger.

The duo won its first match at the WIAA Division 1 state individual tennis tournament with a hard-fought 6-7

(7-4), 6-2, 10-7 victory over Elena Ouimet and Jackie Comerford of Whitefish Bay.

Theisen and Zeilinger (30-1) play Middleton's Mo Livesey and Julie Rickert in a second-round match at 10:30 this morning.

After losing in the first round in their previous two state-tournament appearances, Theisen and Zeilinger had to battle back from behind to win Thursday. They trailed 7-4 in the tiebreaker before rattling off the last six points to win the match.

Zeilinger said the pair prevailed despite not playing its best.

"We started out pretty well, but then we let it slide a little bit," Zeilinger said. "After we talked after the first set and settled down, we started playing better. But it was still a really close match that went right down to the end

"It just feels awesome to win our first match at state."

Theisen and Zeilinger can now set their sights on Livesey and Rickert. They defeated Middleton's No. 1 team during the regular season, but did not play Livesey and Rickert (26-4), who played No. 2 for the Cardinals.

"I think we'll play a lot better tomorrow," Zeilinger said. "We were pretty nervous today because we hadn't won at state yet. We can just go out and play tomorrow.

"We both know we're capable of playing better than we did today."

Milton's doubles team of Marianne Moser and Elizabeth Murphy also wil be in action this morning. Moser-Murphy (9-2) defeated Sara Trimble and Elaine Romenesko of Hartland Arrowhead, 7-5, 6-2, in a Division 1 opening-round match. Moser and Murphy play Middleton's Lindsey Heidel and Darcy Hogendorn (21-7).

In other Division 1 doubles play, Lake Geneva Badger's Riely Mikrut and Lily Fisher lost to Erika Chitko and Megan Kaul of Beaver Dam, 3-6, 6-4, 10-1.

In Division 2, senior Liz McGrail of Walworth Big Foot/Williams Bay won her opening-round match, 6-3, 6-1, over Elizabeth Manlick of Columbus Catholic. McGrail (21-3) plays Courtney Burke of Madison Edgewood (23-8) at noon today. Hannah Runez of Whitewater lost her opening-round match in Division 2 singles.

In Division 2 doubles, Monroe's Brooke McBain and Elle Grossen defeated Katie Thompson and Tori Klingler of Baldwin-Woodville, 6-4, 6-3. East Troy's Taylor Balcerowski and Olivia Prahl lost in straight sets to Carolina Larrain and Sarah Connolly of Wausau Newman Catholic. Big Foot/Williams Bay's Annie McGrail and Lauren Speare lost in straight sets in Division 2 doubles, while Whitewater's Lauren Dalzin and Stephanie Nelson also lost an opening-round match in a third-set tiebreaker.