Playing in her first State Singles championship match, the St. Dom’s sophomore fended off match point five consecutive times in the second set and briefly grabbed a 6-5 lead against two-time defending state champion Olivia Leavitt of Falmouth. 

But the top-seeded Leavitt showed her experience at the end, winning the ensuing game and the resulting tiebreaker, ripping a cross-court winner on her sixth match point attempt in a 6-4, 7-6 (1) victory over Hammond, the No. 2 seed, on Monday inside the Racket and Fitness Center. 

“We’re both really good competitors,” Hammond said. “She’s crazy competitive. I think it was just who wanted to win it more and who was willing to do that. We both wanted to win. We were both in the match. It was really competitive.” 

Hammond faced her first match point trailing 5-3 in the second set and 40-15 in the ninth game. She won the next four points — three via forehand winners — to take the set. 

She fell in an even deeper hole in the following game, conceding the first three points to once again give Leavitt an opportunity to claim her third straight singles title. But Hammond staved off elimination again, winning the next five points to square the second set. Leavitt had won the three previous games against Hammond in which she won the first three points. 

As quickly as she found herself one point away from defeat, Hammond was a mere two points away from taking the second set. She held serve to take a 6-5 lead in the set and led 30-15 in the 12th game, only to see Leavitt rally to force the tiebreaker. 

“She was digging deep trying to get that second wind and take it to a third set,” St. Dom’s coach Andrew Girouard said. “That would have been a game-changer right there, but unfortunately came up a little short.” 

The tiebreaker belonged to the Falmouth senior. She lost the first point with a shot into the net before tallying the final seven to defend her title. 

“It feels really good,” Leavitt said. “I’ll miss playing in the tournament a lot because it’s a great atmosphere. I’ve had great times at it, obviously. I’ll definitely come back and watch, but it’s great knowing all my hard work and maturing in high school has paid off.” 

Hammond and Leavitt had never played a competitive match against one another entering Monday’s championship tilt, but they used to train together at Maine Pines Racquet and Fitness in middle school. 

“We’d always be competing,” Hammond said. “She’s always had a competitive spirit. It’s always nice to get those matches in.” 

Hammond was unfazed by Leavitt early, winning the first two games of the opening set and three of the first four. But Leavitt broke Hammond’s final three serves of the set and won four of the next five games to win the set. 

Leavitt said Hammond possessed a certain characteristic that gave her trouble. 

“She’s a lefty,” Leavitt said. “I’ve had a hard time with lefties. Their spin is different. I always read righties better than lefties. She burned me down the line a couple times and great shots on her part. She was very consistent also. She made me have to end the point and be aggressive and come to the net a lot, which is where I won a lot of my points.”

Leavitt entered the match having dropped just four games all tournament, including a 6-1, 6-1 decision over teammate Julia Brogan in the semifinals. Hammond won 10 games in her championship debut. 

“Our goal from day one was to make it further than last year, which was the semifinals, and we got here,” Girouard said. “We got to the finals. Olivia’s a great opponent and she plays really well. I’m definitely pleased with how Bethany did.” 

Hammond advanced to the championship match after defeating Wells’ Rosemary Campanella, 6-1, 6-2, in the semifinal round earlier in the morning. Hammond controlled the match, winning the first three games of the opening set and the first four of the second for a decisive victory. 

With Leavitt off to play tennis at Brandeis University (Mass.) next year, the door is open for Hammond to raise the trophy her junior season. 

“She keeps setting the bar higher for herself and hopefully next year we can take it all the way,” Girouard said. 

No. 2-seeded Isaac Salas of Waynflete topped top-seeded Nick Mathieu of Mt. Ararat, 7-6 (5), 6-3, to win the boys’ state title.

Salas advanced to the championship match with a 6-3, 6-3, decision against Luka Stevic of Lee Academy. Mathieu got past Fryeburg Academy’s Teodor Antelj in the semifinals, 7-6 (5), 6-4.