Dixon, Sterling set for state: Sauk Valley girls state tennis preview

Class 1A

When and where: Thursday starting at 9 a.m. through Saturday with Hersey High School serving as the host.

Local interest: Dixon – Addison Arjes, sr., Grace Ferguson, sr. Sterling – Ellie Aitken, sr.

Advancing: The state tournament is double elimination. Players move on to the consolation bracket after a loss. The first three rounds of each bracket are played Thursday. On Friday, quarterfinal and semifinal rounds of the main draw and fourth, fifth and sixth rounds of consolation are played. The final round is played Saturday along with semifinal and final rounds of consolation.

FYI: Dixon is coming off its first sectional title since 2005 after winning in Rochelle last weekend. Ferguson, a four-time state qualifier, beat Arjes 6-0, 6-0 in the sectional singles final. Arjes won her first round match at state last year before two straight losses. Ferguson went 0-2 last season in her first time playing state singles. She and Leah Kuehl reached the fourth round of consolation in doubles her sophomore year after the two were 0-2 the year prior.

Arjes said her approach is to remain calm and remember to have fun. She takes a 29-4 singles record to state.

“Staying loose is the key to not getting in my own head and playing to my highest potential,” she said. “It will take confidence and consistency to have a successful run.”

Ferguson echoed that staying calm and keeping an open mind is key. She enters state with a 30-5 singles record.

“In order to play my best, I need to stay calm and remember that I am capable of playing with girls much better than me,” she said. “I just hope this year I can play up to my full potential and stay loose out on the court.”

For Sterling, Aitken is a four-time state tennis qualifier and is coming off a third-place finish at the Geneseo Sectional. Last year, she dropped her first match in straight sets and fell by tiebreaker in consolation. Aitken takes a 23-6 singles record to state in search of her first win at the tournament. Her older sister, Abby, was the last Sterling player to win a singles match at state; Abby lost her opening match before winning her first consolation match, 7-6 (6), 6-4 in 2018 over Matoon’s Kyah Eastin.

“I’m approaching the state tournament with no pressure and just going out there to have fun since this is my last tennis tournament of my high school career, and my goal was to make it to state all four years,” Aitken said. “My sister [Abby], who I really look up to, was my motivation for qualifying all four years because she made it three years. I’m going to play loose and free and focus on playing my game regardless of who my opponent is. That’s my mindset to be successful this week.”

Sterling coach Kip Aitken is excited to see how Ellie stacks up in her final go at state.

“Her game has improved immensely over the past four years, and she has been preparing by playing against some very tough competition in both the conference and sectional tournaments,” he said. “I’m just really proud of her hard work, accomplishments, and who she is as a person. I can’t wait to see what comes next.”