Girls tennis: Conant’s Pivtorak ‘a true success story’ after overcoming serious injury
Tennis ace Khrystyna Pivtorak broke two bones in her right leg in an ice-skating accident early in high school.
The Conant senior needed surgery. Then a second operation after the rod inserted in her leg caused complications.
“It was poking into my knee,” she recalled at Saturday’s 16-team Prospect Fall Classic.
Tibia. Fibula.
Two operations.
One understandable lifestyle change.
“I haven’t ice skated since,” Pivtorak added with a smile. “I’ve been asked to ice skate.”
She’d rather play tennis.
And few play it better.
Pivtorak, who finished seventh/eighth in Class 2A singles as an unseeded junior last fall, reached the No. 1 singles championship match Saturday before falling 6-4, 6-0 to Oak Park-River Forest senior Lucy Stein, fourth in Class 2A singles a year ago.
“She’s on a mission to cap off an incredible tennis career at Conant,” Cougars coach Matt Marks said. “She works hard and does all the right things. Khrystyna is a true success story in Conant tennis.”
Conant enjoyed plenty of success Saturday, too.
The Cougars amassed 57 points to finish runner-up to Highland Park (71) in the seven-flight tournament. Glenbrook North (40), Deerfield (39), Oak Park-River Forest (38), Maine South (34), Loyola Academy (32) and Naperville North (26) rounded out the top eight.
Conant won two flights. Elyssa Rojas Kantcheva defeated Highland Park’s Maya Keller 6-0, 6-4 in the No. 2 singles final, and Noelle Koh/Ella Kestner upset Highland Park’s top-seeded Kourtnie Halperin/Julia Batt 6-2, 6-3 at No. 2 doubles.
Maine South’s Kristina Nikolova/Emma Militaru finished second at No. 1 doubles, while teammates Megi Stoyanova/Maya Vezentan took third at No. 2 doubles with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Benet Academy’s Anna Jones/Kate Nagle.
Libertyville — minus injured standout Yuki Dogadalski — received a fourth-place showing from Yelyzaveta Shchekaturova at No. 2 singles, and Naperville North’s Angela Hu finished fourth at No. 3 singles.
Prospect junior Teodora Lazarova, who went undefeated as the Knights’ No. 1 JV singles player two seasons ago, won a consolation-round match in Saturday’s talent-packed No. 1 singles bracket.
“She has a huge forehand, with a wide wingspan,” Prospect coach and tournament host Patrick Weber said. “She tees off big on it. She’s our team leader and always positive.
“Teodora,” he added, “is a rock star.”
Pivtorak looked like one at the outset of her final.
She dictated play early with her forehand and elegant, one-handed backhand, before the steadier, more patient Stein rallied to win the first set and take control of the second.
Earlier, Pivtorak had beaten Highland Park’s Andie Lawrence 6-2, 6-1 in a semifinal.
“I moved her side to side with my forehand and mixed it up with my backhand, hitting topspin at times and slicing it at others,” Pivtorak said.
Next month comes another state tournament.
And Pivtorak — healthy, grateful and still having fun — plans to enjoy every step.
On tennis shoes.
Not skates.