Londonderry High senior star tennis player Cassie Burbine ended her high school singles career by winning the state singles title at the Derryfield School and Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester on Tuesday, June 10.
Top-seeded Manchester Central super-freshman Julia Chappell did everything but win against the second-ranked LHS senior in the championship match, as the Assumption College-bound Burbine wound up taking the battle by a 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 tally.
“This is the best ending I could ask for,” said Burbine. “I accomplished my four-year goal.”
The singles title battle began at the Derryfield School but then had to be completed next door on the lit SNHU courts due to darkness.
Burbine, who made it as far as the state singles semifinals last spring before falling to the eventual state champ Sunday Swett of Bow, trailed Chappell by a 3-2 tally in the last set of last week’s final before zooming back to bag the decisive 6-3 victory.
In the first round of singles tourney action at Pinkerton Academy in Derry on Saturday, June 7, Burbine received a first-round bye due to her upper-level seeding. Then in round two she disposed of Berklee Vaillancourt of Derryfield in an 8-0 white-washing.
And finally that day – in round three action at PA – Burbine bested Shelley Herrington of Bishop Brady in a 7-6 (8-6), 3-6, 6-0 decision.
Moving on to the Derryfield School for the second day of competition last week, Burbine faced the daunting task – in multiple ways – of having to dispose of her best friend and Londonderry High teammate Ana Milosavljevic in round four.
Burbine won that match handily by a score of 6-3, 6-0, and advanced to the title round against Chappell. The Londonderry stalwart had to battle hard, but she accomplished her major personal goal of an individual title in the end.
“Her top-spin shots kept going deep and bouncing over my head, and that gave me some trouble. So I started hitting deeper to her backhand because she didn’t have as much power with her backhand,” said the Lady Lancer of defeating Chappell.
And with the singles crown tucked safely away, Burbine reunited with doubles partner Milosavljevic to drive for another title. That top-seeded duo pushed its way into the doubles finals against second-ranked Derryfield School sisters Colbi and Berklee Vaillancourt.
The LHS ladies started their title match against the Derryfield duo on its home court last Friday, June 13, but soon had to stop playing due to rain. Their important match then continued this past Monday, June 16.
Burbine and Milosavljevic lost in the doubles title match to the Derryfield sisters by a tally