Morgan Park Academy’s Boone takes charge at Illiana

Updated: August 31, 2011 7:45PM

Jerricka Boone appears back in form.

After missing the 2010 season recovering from a wrist injury, Boone, a junior at Morgan Park Academy, won for the second time in as many outings this season with a victory at No. 1 singles Wednesday at Illiana Christian.

With the temperature in the 90s, Boone defeated Illiana Christian’s Zhavia Gray 6-0, 6-2. Illiana Christian won the dual 3-2.

Don’t think, however, Boone, the 2009 state singles champion, is looking at statistics .

“I was basically out there just working on my strokes,” she said. “High school tennis is like practice to me. It’s no big deal.”

Warriors coach Carol Metzcus said Boone looked fine on the court and sees great improvement.

“I see a concerted effort to regain the level of play that she was at the end of state her freshman year and work to make herself stronger than that even,” Metzcus said. “She kept pushing herself and played well within herself.”

Boone is aware of the pressure after missing last season and having to live up to her 2009 campaign, when she became the sixth freshman to win the state singles title.

“I just want to play well,” Boone said. “It’s not about winning or losing. I’ve been out for so long I just need a lot of match play.

“I still haven’t even gotten my groove back. Maybe in a couple of more months.”

Among the winners for Illiana were the No. 1 doubles team of Anneke Knot and Lindsey Kotynski, who defeated Skyler Taft and Brianna Kramer 3-6, 6-3, 10-8.

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