Photo by Nathan Gray

The Wachovia Palmetto Tennis Championships Finals were held on Monday morning at the Belton Tennis Center.

BELTON — By Lake Morris

Special to the Anderson Independent-Mail

The 9 a.m. train rolled by the Belton Tennis Courts, and then left at 9:20 — like clockwork. The girls’ 18-year-old tournament final was also like clockwork, and a short work at that, as Alex Martin of Mount Pleasant routed second-seed Michelle Green of Hilton Head.

Martin moved into the history books of the storied tournament in Belton, taking the match 6-0, 6-2 on Monday morning at the Belton Tennis Center.

The first set blew by in a flash as Martin, the fourth seed, hit strong shots. Green had trouble placing the ball inside the lines.

“I just stayed consistent, played my forehand really well, hit my backhand across court really well, and I went up to the line when I needed to,” said Martin. “She was just missing shots; I didn’t have to do too much.”

The second set saw Green seemingly starting to find her groove, but Martin shut the door on her competitor.

“She started making more shots in the second,” said Martin. “I had to raise my intensity, which I did, and put more balls in the court; just one more than she did.”

One thing to note was the heat, or decrease in it compared to the prior days in the tournament that hosted triple digit numbers with the heat index.

“Oh no, definitely not,” said Martin. “It was much cooler today.”

This was not the first time the two lady tennis players have met on the court. The only difference was, according to Martin, that Green usually came out on the winning end.

“This time I was able to take it,” said Martin.

Martin will be returning to the 18-year-old division next year to defend her title, and says that she would like to repeat regardless of whom she plays.

“It doesn’t matter, just let whatever happens happen. I’d just like to win it again next year,” said Martin.