Girls tennis: Ally Haynes, Megan Nuske battle through winds in Highland-Medina first singles

MEDINA — "Gone with the Wind" was a classic movie made in 1939. The first singles match Tuesday between Highland's Ally Haynes and Medina's Megan Nuske was not a classic because the wind would not be gone. Reigning Gazette MVP Haynes won 6-3, 6-1 to lead the Hornets to a 5-0 non-league victory over the improving Bees, but she wasn't thrilled with her performance. "I would call that a total collapse of every basic fundamental I've ever learned," she said with a laugh. "The wind was tough and I was moving slow and my brain was slower. It was a perfect mix for terrible." Despite her struggles, Haynes improved to 9-2 on the season — her losses were to fellow 2023 Division I state singles qualifiers — by winning nine of the last 10 games as the Hornets stayed perfect at 5-0. "The wind was affecting both of us," she said. "I know Megan's a better player than that and I know I'm a better player than that. I was just telling myself to win the crucial points and not get so mad at losing stupid points I usually win." Despite whiffing on an easy forehand volley right at the net, Haynes was able to get Nuske off the baseline with a series of slices, which often led to backhand volleys for winners. "(Personal coach) Beth (Schaefer Winquist) always says the seventh game is the most important," Haynes said. "At 3-all (in the first set), I just wanted to win that game and get off the court as soon as possible. I literally wanted to do anything I could to finish it." Now pretty good friends with Haynes after playing on the same Springside Athletic Club entry in a Junior Team Tennis event in Indianapolis — they played doubles together while also playing singles and mixed doubles — All-Gazette pick Nuske also was not at her best, though she held serve twice to start the match and later got a break to tie the opening set 3-3. "The wind definitely changed things," Nuske said. "One minute it wouldn't be windy and then you'd go to hit a ball and miss it because the wind picked up. I really just wanted to keep the ball deep. I'm confident in my ability to do that, but the wind kind of took that away today. "I have to be consistent and change things up against her. If you play the same game against her, she'll figure it out pretty quickly. I think that's what happened today with the slice." Both seniors were extremely sportsmanlike throughout, with Haynes turning around after one of her lobs nipped the opposite baseline and saying to an observer, "I'm glad I'm playing Megan. A lot of people would have called that out." "I always try to be fair," Nuske said. "If I'm not 100% sure a ball is out, I will play it. That's just the right thing to do. "Playing Ally seems like such a friendly match because we know each other from Springside. It was really fun playing doubles with her. She's an easy person to work with and we got along very well." The Bees (2-1) came close to winning at second doubles, where Highland's Ella Tople and Hailey Pennington won the final three games for a 7-5, 7-5 victory over Claire Kocar and Larken Talley, who never gave up on a point and won a number of them due to their hustle and quick hands at the net. The Hornets' Claire Schlak and Kenzie Pawlak triumphed 6-2, 6-4 over Julia Kraft and Hayden Rea at first doubles, with Lily Hantz posting a 6-0, 6-0 win over Ashley Wallace at second singles and Wren Marquis downing M.J. Pimpo 6-2, 6-1 at the No. 3 spot. Haynes is the only player among Highland's top seven to lose a match this season, with the other six owning 11-0 records when tournaments are counted. The athletic, strong and fast Marquis — she runs the 4x200- and 4x4-meter relays for the Highland track team — has been particularly impressive as a senior after spending large portions of her previous seasons as an emergency varsity doubles replacement. "It's nice to have it be consistent," she said. "I'm able to know what I'm doing, so it makes it a lot easier. "I like doubles because the points are fast, which is good for my attention span, but I also like to run around. Third singles is a patience game. A lot of the girls will get everything back, which is really nice because it makes me run around even more." Contact Rick Noland at (330) 721-4046 or rnoland@medina-gazette.com. Follow him @RickNoland on X. Highland 5, Medina 0 Singles: Ally Haynes (H) d. Megan Nuske, 6-3, 6-1; Lily Hantz (H) d. Ashley Wallace, 6-0, 6-0; Wren Marquis (H) d. M.J. Pimpo, 6-2, 6-1. Doubles: Claire Schlak/Kenzie Pawlak (H) d. Julia Kraft/Hayden Rea, 6-2, 6-4; Ella Tople/Hailey Pennington (H) d. Claire Kocar/Larken Talley, 7-5, 7-5. Records: Highland (5-0), Medina (2-1).