Slightly gimpy from an ankle injury, Lawrence High senior Brooke Seymour slowly is returning to form as the Lions' No. 1 singles player.
Seymour went 1-1 on Wednesday at the Lawrence Tennis Center while taking on the top player from Shawnee Mission South and Olathe South.
"It's a lot better," said Seymour, who has the left ankle heavily wrapped. "Yesterday (Tuesday) was the first day I could actually run to the ball without being in complete pain."
Seymour rolled the ankle on Aug. 25 -- the day before the Lions' season opener and had to sit out that meet.
"I was running around and it happened more or less because I'm uncoordinated," she said.
On Wednesday, Seymour hung with two-time Class 6A state champion Cassie Drake before falling, 8-2. Seymour won her second match, 8-0, over Olathe South's Meg Sturdivan.
"She's really good," Seymour said of Drake. "I like playing people better than me, especially her because she's fun to play. She's always very steady and good."
Seymour seemed ready to rally against Drake after being down 4-2. The LHS netter led the seventh game, 40-15, but Drake didn't fold and won the game.
"The rest of the games I was up," Drake said. "I should have won five games. I didn't know how to finish the point. She knows how to win the big points and I don't anymore."
Because of the injury and playing doubles last fall, Seymour's playing time at singles has been limited.
State runner-up to Drake in 1997, Seymour played doubles last season and qualified for state with Nicole Gravino. She returned to No. 1 singles following Laura Gravino's transfer to Free State.
LHS coach Dick Wedel believes Seymour is becoming more comfortable with her return to singles.
"I was very pleased," he said. "With the amount of tennis Brooke's played in the last month, that was a moral victory, which doesn't count for anything.
"She wasn't consistent. She had too many unforced errors. I thought she moved real well. She had a lot of variety in her shots."
Seymour was the lone LHS netter to win a match on Wednesday. SM South beat the Lions, 4-0, and Olathe South beat LHS, 3-1.
- Results in scoreboard
-- Steve Rottinghaus' phone message number is 832-7152. His e-mail address is srottinghaus@ljworld.com
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