Grafton High takes State tennis title

GRAFTON High School girls' open tennis team is the NSW Combined High Schools champion after a crushing 7-1 win over Westfields Sports High.

The win at Grafton yesterday avenged the 6-2 loss to the same team last year.

The Grafton girls could not have followed coach Kelly Adamson's wishes more closely.

After downing Ulladulla in the quarter-final and Hunter Sports High in the semi-final on Tuesday, Adamson was adamant the girls needed a strong start.

"We came out and won both the one and two doubles and followed up with wins in the next two singles," she said.

"We only needed a win out of the remaining singles games or the two reverse doubles.

Westfields was able to claw back one of the singles games but Rachel Fahey closed it out 6-4 in the final singles game, giving Grafton an unassailable 5-1 lead.

The visitors chose to forfeit the reverse doubles.

Adamson knew exactly how her charges felt, because she was the lynchpin of the Grafton High team that won the same title in 1997.

"You're under a lot of pressure, so it's a really exciting feeling and really good to do it on your home courts," she said.