THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, May 7, 1995 TAG: 9505070204
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C9 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JULIE GOODRICH, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE LENGTH: Short : 47 lines
After being tested by Great Bridge's Steve Breeden in the semifinals of the Southeastern District tennis tournament Saturday at Oscar Smith High School, Western Branch's Frankie Graves turned in a workmanlike effort in the finals, dismantling David Bristow, 6-0, 6-1, for his third consecutive district title.
``I don't know what it was, but I started playing real well when I started playing Bristow,'' said Graves, the tournament's top seed.
In the first semifinal, Graves triumphed over Breeden, 6-4, 6-3, in a tense match where Breeden managed to run down almost everything Graves hit at him. The two had faced each other in the district final for the past two years.
Second-seeded Bristow, a sophomore at Great Bridge, defeated Churchland's Francesco Michelon, 6-2, 6-0.
Graves reeled off nine straight games to open the final, taking the first set at love. Bristow, bothered by a strained lower back and holding his right side after nearly every point, watched a blazing Graves' passing shot whiz by and said simply, ``That's too good.''
Bristow finally broke through in the tenth game of the match, drawing to 3-1 in the second set on a forehand winner down the line as Graves charged the net.
Graves, who punched the air or swung his racket for emphasis whenever he made a good shot, took the next game at love, then broke Bristow again for a 5-1 lead.
``Frankie was hitting really well and running me all over the court,'' said Bristow, who made it to the district semis last year as a freshman before losing to Breeden. ``When you're up against the fence it's hard to hit the next shot.''
Down 5-1, Bristow fought to reach deuce in the final game, but Graves closed out the match and remained undefeated on the season with a service winner that Bristow could barely get a racket on.
``I played as aggressively as I could, because I knew he would serve and volley,'' Graves said.
Graves added a district title in doubles competition later in the afternoon, teaming with Kurt Gilchrist for a 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 win over the team of Bristow and Breeden. by CNB