RAPID CITY – Aberdeen Central had a big opening day at the Class AA State Tennis Tournament. The Golden Eagles advanced a doubles team into the final, and had three players make it to the semifinals in singles.

“That was fantastic. … They were close, too,” said Central coach John Vogel. “We had to go to breakers for them.”

The flight two doubles squad of Reese Comstock and Chloe Ladner pulled off back-to-back upsets to reach the championship match. The duo knocked off third-seeded Mitchell in the quarterfinals, and then took down second-seeded O’Gorman in the semifinals.

“They really handled O’Gorman the two seed. They played fantastic,” Vogel said. “It was like set em up, knock em down. Reese was smashing things left and right, Chloe was hitting down the line winners. It was super fun to watch.”

The duo will now take on top-seeded Rapid City Stevens in the finals, a super-tiebreaker winner in its semifinal.

Vogel said that Comstock and Ladner are not a typical sixth-seeded team.

“They’re coming together at the very right time,” Vogel said. “They lost some matches early in the year that hurt their seed, but they’re playing really good here at the end. They’re going to be a tough out.”

Comstock and Ladner also advanced to the semifinals at third and fourth flight singles, respectively.

Comstock defeated a Watertown foe who she had lost to twice previously. This time Comstock prevailed 10-4 in a super breaker.

“Reese said she was super nervous,” Vogel said, “but she didn’t’ play super nervous.”

Ladner also won a super breaker, 12-10, to secure her quarterfinal victory.

Vogel said Ladner called it, the “scariest match of her life.”

Seventh-grader Sarah Knie also advanced to the semifinals at flight five singles.

Central will be in action in all six singles flights and a pair of doubles flights when action resumes today.

Central is currently in fourth place in team points. Vogel knows the matches will keep getting tougher as the tourney plays out, but it was a solid start for his team.

“It was very good day,” Vogel said.

SINGLES

First Flight

JULIA KNIE: def. Emma Engel, Sioux Falls Roosevelt, 6-0, 6-0; lost to Ellie Zink, Watertown, 6-1 6-3.

Second Flight

AVERY TENNANT: def. Madelyn Von Wald, Harrisburg, 6-4, 6-2; lost to Carsyn Weich, Mitchell, 6-2, 6-2.

Third Flight

REESE COMSTOCK: def. Kristen Schleuter, Sioux Falls Roosevelt, 6-0, 6-0; def. Faith Berg, Watertown, 6-3, 5-7, (10-4).

Fourth Flight

CHLOE LADNER: def. Raegan Patton, Rapid City Central, 6-0, 6-1; def. Noa Lovro, Harrisburg, 4-6, 6-4, (11-9).

Fifth Flight

SARAH KNIE: def. Vada Jacoby, Sioux Falls Roosevelt, 6-3, 6-2; def. Cayda Weiss, Watertown, 6-2, 7-5.

Sixth Flight

ASHLEY ORTEGA: def. Mckenna Beck, Brandon Valley, 6-4, 4-6, (10-7); lost to Momo Welch Okawa, Sioux Falls Lincoln, 6-0, 6-1.

DOUBLES

First Flight

JULIA KNIE-AVERY TENNANT: def. Tanner-Hooda, Brookings, 6-1, 6-1; lost to Mortimer-Potvin, Rapid City Stevens, 4-6, 6-0, (12-10); lost to Geraets-Hedrick, Sioux Falls Lincoln, 10-1.

Second Flight

REESE COMSTOCK-CHLOE LADNER: def. Zhu-Senchanka, Brookings, 6-2, 6-3; def. Clement-Graves, Mitchell, 6-3, 1-6, (10-5); def. Jamous-Farhat, O’Gorman, 7-5, 6-4.

Third Flight

MADY HOLMAN-ESTELLE RIGGS: Dahlmeier-Cahill, Sioux Falls Washington, 6-0, 6-1; lost to Statema-Welch Owaka, Sioux Falls Lincoln, 6-4, 6-3; def. Neilan-Pauli, Sioux Falls Jefferson, 10-3.