SYLVANIA — A berth in the Final Four hung in the balance for Thomasville’s girls tennis team Tuesday.

Sarah Hardy erased any doubt.

Hardy clinched the Bulldogs’ berth in the Class AA semfinals with a 6-1, 6-3 victory against Screven County’s Katheryn Wells, giving Thomasville a 3-2 victory.

“It was about what I thought it was going to end up being,” said Thomasville coach Phil Slaughter, whose team plays defending champion Walker on Friday at Clayton County International Park. “It all came down to No. 3 singles.”

After Thomasville had won the No. 1 and No. 2 singles matches, and Screven County swept the No. 1 and No. 2 doubles matches, the weight of Thomasville’s season laid on the senior’s shoulders.

“I tried not to really think about it because I then would get too stressed out,” Hardy said. “It was still pretty intense.”

Adding to the drama was the longevity of the match, which started at 1 p.m. and didn’t conclude until well after 3 p.m.

“They were all long points,” Hardy said. “It took a long time.

“It was pretty hard, especially because it was really hot. There’s no trees around here so there’s no shade. It was really an intense, hard match.”

Thomasville’s No. 3 singles match was not the only singles match filled with drama. In No. 1 singles, Katie Gee knocked off Kate Blackburn 6-3, 6-0.

“She looked like she was not in it at first,” Slaughter said about the sophomore. “Right before the first set was over, she called for me and asked me to check the height of the net. Sometimes, one little thing can throw you off.

“After that, she took the next seven games and won the second set 6-0.”

The net had to be lowered just a little, proving to be a psychological advantage for Katie.

“It was a little high,” Katie said. “I used that as a time to have (coach Slaughter) come on the court and I could recollect my thoughts. After that, I started playing a lot better.”

Katie’s sister, Kristen, was the first one off the court after disposing of Evan Sheppard 6-3, 6-1 in No. 2 singles.