State tennis: One last time: McCoy-Sicora

The rubber match is set.

Wyatt McCoy of Mounds View and Michael Sicora of Buffalo won twice Thursday to advance to today's singles semifinals at the Class 2A boys' tennis state tournament.

McCoy, a freshman, and Sicora, a senior, have staged rousing three-set matches in the past two state tournaments. Both times, the winner went on to win the Class 2A championship: Sicora in 2006 and McCoy last year. They will play each other one last time at 8 a.m. today at the Baseline Tennis Center on the University of Minnesota campus.

Sicora needed three sets to beat Justin Haag of Eden Prairie 6-4, 4-6, 6-0 in the first round but played much better in beating Eric Frueh of Rochester Century 6-2, 6-1 in the quarterfinals.

McCoy routed both of his opponents, Joey MacGibbon of Apple Valley and Hamish Weerasinghe of Edina, losing only one game in each match.

"I know it's the match everyone wants to see," Sicora said. "I've tried not to focus on it this year, but it's always been in the back of my mind."

Dennis Martin smiled and shook his head when asked if he was just happy to win two matches Thursday to advance to the semifinals of the Class 2A singles tournament.

"Not at all," said the affable Martin, a foreign-exchange student from Dortmund, Germany, who goes to Orono. "I want to win the whole thing."

Martin, finally comfortable on American hard courts, beat Nelson Iginla of Minneapolis South 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 in the first round and rolled over Mya Smith-Dennis of Burnsville 6-2, 6-1 in the quarterfinals.

Throw in the courts at the Baseline Tennis Center -- which feature slower, plexi-type surfaces, more akin to clay courts -- and Martin is feeling confident.

He will play Blaine senior Paul Swanson in today's semifinals. Swanson won both his matches in straight sets.

"I know I'm the underdog," Martin said, "but with the slower surfaces, I feel I can beat anyone."

Edina's Brent Radewald wasn't happy when his father's job moved the family from Austin, Texas, where they had lived for 11 years, back to Minnesota last summer.

"Austin is where I started school and playing tennis," said Radewald, a junior. "I have a lot of lifelong friends there."

But playing tennis at Edina has made Radewald's transition smoother. He helped the Hornets to the Class 2A team title Wednesday and, paired with Noah Swiler, advanced to today's doubles semifinals.

"This is working out pretty well," Radewald said. "Better than I expected."

Today's singles championship could be a rematch from the team finals.

St. Paul Academy senior Pierce Norton and Rochester Lourdes sophomore Ben Kopecky, who played a highly entertaining match at No. 1 singles in St. Paul Academy's victory Wednesday -- Norton won in three sets -- are one other again in the singles final. Both won their two first-round matches in straight sets.

In doubles, Breck's Myles Tang -- a survivor of last August's I-35W bridge collapse -- and teammate Eric Chien have made today's semifinals.

The Class 1A tournament is being played at the Reed-Sweatt Tennis Center in Minneapolis.