RALEIGH — Despite being up 3-1 in the first set, Green Hope junior Melissa Kandinata fell in the state tennis semifinals on Saturday on the campus of N.C. State University.

The 7-5, 6-4 defeat to Charlotte Myers Park's Grace Baker was the first time all year Kandinata had given up a set, much less a match.

The players started off jittery, with both trying to figure out the other as Kandinata took an early lead. Baker battled back, but Kandinata reclaimed the lead at 5-4 and set point.

Again, Baker fought off elimination, winning the set and the next two. By making it this far, Kandinata is an all-state selection.

“I thought I had my chances,” Kandinata said. “I hit well but not tactically. I hit too much to her forehand; I should've hit it more to her backhand. I was running a lot, more counter-punching than punching.”

There was a point in the first set in which Kandinata called a ball out that was close to the line. Baker was incredulous, as was her cheering section, which consisted of about 10-15 people who had made the trip.

Kandinata, not used to having people question her calls, was rattled.

“I saw it out. It was close, but I saw it out,” Kandinata said. “The call just stayed in my mind, I guess. From that point on I was afraid to call a lot of balls out. I called a lot of balls out, in.”

This is the first year Kandinata has competed in North Carolina after moving to the area from Florida. Her match with Baker lasted an hour and 45 minutes.

Green Hope coach Kevin Taylor, in his second season with the Falcons, said he was proud of her semifinal finish.

“She competed very well. You had two good players out there. You could watch the quality of tennis and tell there was very little difference in the quality of points,” Taylor said. “I was proud of the way she competed. I mean, 7-5, 6-4, that's a very close match.”

Last year, Kandinata was a state champion in Florida, which conducts its championships differently than North Carolina. Each seed on the team plays for a championship, so Kandinata was the top 3-seed in the state.

Also competing in the individual singles championships was Green Hope 2-seed Helen Wang.

Wang lost to eventual champion Chloe Willets of R.J. Reynolds, 6-1, 7-6 (3) in the second round after a 6-3, 7-5 win over Myers Park's Jessica Perez.

Wang, Kandinata and the rest of the Green Hope Falcons are scheduled to take on undefeated Broughton in the third round of the 4-A state dual-team tennis tournament on Tuesday. Broughton placed the first and second-place doubles teams in the same tournament.

Steady rain forced Saturday's finals to be moved from the outdoor courts at the Millbrook Exchange Tennis Center to N.C. State's J.W. Isenhour Tennis Center.

*we will have the story from Tuesday's match against Broughton online following the match*