Decatur's Meghan Cassens was forced to use every part of her cunning and experience to survive on the tennis court while capturing her second consecutive Class 4A girls singles state championship at the Tri-City Court Club.

Cassens completed a run through the gauntlet of the state's best players while remaining unbeaten in her junior year with a convincing 6-1, 6-3, defeat of WesCo League Stanwood's Megan Lalone, on Saturday, May 29. It was also the third consecutive year playing in the state championship final match. As a freshman, Cassens lost to Gig Harbor's Christy Sipes. Last year she beat another WesCo League player in the form of Lake Stevens' Antonia Liebenow.

Zero hour for the talented Gator ace came in the semifinals against the stiff challenge of Newport's Angela Chen.

After Cassens controlled the first set 6-2, Chan stormed to a second set 6-4 win to set up a three-set marathon. The situation looked rugged for Cassens when the Newport star broke service early and led 3-0.

Mustering up all her experience and fortitude, the talented junior from Decatur broke her opponent's serve twice to win six of the next seven games.

Thankful for her escape, Cassens spoke to a Tri-City Herald reporter.

"I almost didn't make it out of the semis," she recalled. "I was down 0-3 in the third set. This feels really good. I worked so hard for this."

Cassens opened up her tournament with a Friday, 6-1, 6-0, win against Amie Vo of Newport before crusing to a 6-0, 6-1, quarterfinal victory against Amy Scheuman of Wenatchee.

This marked the champion's final 4A appearance. Cassen's next try for a title would be at Class 3A with Decatur moving down a classification next year.

The Rosa brothers, Makoa and Kainoa, of Thomas Jefferson brought a fifth place boys' doubles placing back to Federal Way. Rosa and Rosa dispatched Jake Lagucik and Youngha Kim of Edmonds-Woodway, 6-3, 6-0, ahead of a three-set, 6-3, 6-7, 6-1, tense struggle over Jack Wang and Trevor Jones of Mountainview in the Friday quarterfinals.

Saturday action showed the Rosa brothers losing to eventual champions Clint Vidano and Jack Rechtin, 6-1, 6-2, in the semis to drop into the consolation bracket where they lost to Puyallup's Michael and Brian Pinkard in the third/fifth match, 6-3, 7-5.

Other Federal Way area players fought hard, but fell short of the top six placings.

Joseph de la Cruz of Todd Beamer split four matches at state. The Titan sophomore outshot Mitch Williamson of Jackson (Mill Creek) 7-5, 6-2, before dropping a 6-4, 6-3, quarterfinal to Skyview's Kent Andreason. De la Cruz rebounded to defeat Eastlake's Vicente Varas before being eliminated by Wenatchee's Hudson Barnhart, 6-3, 6-1.

In girls doubles, Thomas Jefferson seniors Mackenzie Qualls and Caroline Min gutted out a 4-6, 7-6, 7-6, opener over Chelsea Motzer and Lani Sherman from Mead ahead of a 6-2, 6-0, quarterfinal loss to eventual titleists Maria Gonzalez and Jasmine Singh of Inglemoor. The veteran duo fought valiantly in its next match before closing out with a loss against Kentwood's Eliano Spero and Niki Skinner, 6-3, as the end of two illustrious careers.

Averi Kitsch of Jefferson lost to Mead's Katijene Stime in opening girls singles, 6-0, 6-1. Kitsch recovered for a 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, elimination of Edmonds-Woodway's Jane Hong, but then fell to Wenatchee's Amy Scheumann, 6-2, 6-1.

Federal Way's surprising girls doubles team of Lauren Lang and Mina Park lost two consecutive matches indoors at the Tri-City Court Club after the skies opened and watered the Mid-Columbia on Friday forced cancellation of outdoor play at Kamiakin High School.

Their first match against Demie Warner and Ali Welch of Kamiakin started at 11 a.m., roughly the time they should have been starting their second match.

Warner and Welch defeated Lang and Park, 6-2, 6-1, before the Federal Way team was eliminated, 6-1, 6-2, by Oak Harbor's Laurin Rico and Clarissa Abedesco, 6-1, 6-3.

Both Federal Way School District doubles teams wowed onlookers with their colorful and interesting tennis outfits. Qualls and Min had "Don't make me backhand you" on the back of their vibrant pink shirts, while the Federal Way girls had "Love means nothing" on the back of their sweatshirts.

Original West Central District alternates Kyle Creek and Brandyn Gomez of Thomas Jefferson made the state field and started with a 6-2, 6-3, loss to Clint Vidano and Jack Rechtin of Wenatchee before dropping a tough three-set, 6-4, 2-6, 6-2, verdict to Jackson's Robin Choi and David Kim.