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Still Serving Up Success At Wiregrass Ranch

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By MATTHEW PARKE

Tribune correspondent

Published: March 23, 2008

The surprising emergence of the 6-3 Wiregrass Ranch girls team cannot be attributed to the usual suspects: senior leadership and historical success. Defying the conventional wisdom, the second-year team is playing great tennis with a freshman at the helm, Hannah Still, who is 9-0 in singles play. The young player has a big serve and high hopes for her team's continued success.

"I love it. I think it's so much fun to be out there with my teammates. I think it's going to be a great rest of the tennis season because we are doing really well," Still said.

Unlike many freshmen gripping their first racket handles, Still joined the Wiregrass team with her game intact. She has been taking lessons at the Mercury Tennis Academy for three years, under the tutelage of Ian Thomas. Thomas also coaches Still's doubles partner and undefeated No. 2 player, Amber Fahrner. According to Still, her training and experience has helped her avoid freshman year frustrations.

"I know how to play the game. I know the courts very well. ... I just know that it's only a game. If I don't do well at one, I'll do better the next time," Still said.

Still also runs cross country to keep fit in the offseason. But her first love is tennis, and an 8-year-old Still got hooked when she first saw a racket hit a ball.

"I saw my coach hitting it around with other people. It just looked like a lot of fun to me. It got me into it so my dad signed me up for him. I've been playing ever since," Still said.

The past two summers, Still has attended Clemson University's tennis camp and has aspirations to play Division I-level tennis for the Tigers. The camp's close proximity to her grandfather's house brought her to northwest South Carolina and she plans on returning next summer.

"Everybody is really competitive up there. It is kind of funny because I am the only girl from Florida there. They are all, like, 'It's the Florida girl.' I enjoy going up there every summer," Still said.

According to Bulls coach Tammy Shaw, Still has an array of weapons at her disposal, including a bracing serve. Her power game is being complemented by a developing net game and Shaw has noticed development in her match play.

"She can hit the ball hard. She has great pace and a good stroke. ... She has not had much doubles experience prior to this season. She's doing much better at being aggressive at the net in doubles," Shaw said.

That serve was put to the test in Still's match against Nature Coast on Wednesday. High winds played their part in Still's two-set victory against Rachel Conter.

"It was really hard yesterday. I was making unforced errors with the wind," Still said.

She won the first set 6-4, but Conter rallied in the second, forcing the tiebreak. Still powered through the tiebreak, winning 7-1. She kept her singles streak alive, but the overall match was lost 4-3 to the perennial powerhouse when the No. 5 singles, Anna Caldwell, lost in three sets.

The match itself was a benchmark for Wiregrass, since they had lost to Nature Coast 7-0 the previous year. Still said her team has not lost any confidence, but the match showed her team can hang with the best.

"Even though we lost, we still played very well. It was a really close match for everybody. And everybody did their best and tried really hard," Still said.

Wiregrass had a chance to rebound in its match against Hernando on Thursday, but lost 4-3. It was another close match against an opponent that had given them a solid pounding the year before.

Their next opponent, River Ridge, is hardly a good choice to end a two-game losing streak. The match has large implications in the Sunshine Athletic Conference.

The upcoming showdown will pit one freshman phenom against another. Tuesday, Still is set to face undefeated Tijana Subotic, in what will be a crucial home match for the Bulls and River Ridge's 10-game winning streak will be on the line. Wiregrass could make a run for the regular-season title if they come away with a victory.

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