CITY TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS : Lippman Lifts Hamilton to Title

After winning match point against Palisades’ Stephanie Krauss and giving Hamilton High a 4-3 victory to clinch the girls’ City Section 4-A team tennis title, Annie Lippman bunny-hopped, did a quick spin and then covered her eyes with her hand.

The dance was more from relief than celebration.

With the teams tied, Lippman and Krauss split the first two sets of their match at the Racquet Centre in Studio City. Lippman knew what was on the line.

“On the changeover, my coach told me we lost all three doubles matches,” said Lippman, Hamilton’s No. 4 singles player. “I knew for us to win, all our singles players had to win. I was very nervous.”

Lippman won the fifth and sixth games to take a 4-2 lead, then held on to defeat Krauss, 6-3, in the final set and lift Hamilton to its first championship.

In the 3-A final, Bell upset defending champion Carson, 6-1, to win its first title in team tennis.