Faced with defending set point after set point in multiple tiebreakers throughout the weekend, Anett Schutting dug deep and found her focus to win each critical point.
It was that kind of a weekend for Schutting.
The junior on Cal Women’s tennis team would come from behind in multiple rounds to advance to the finals at the USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships in Flushing Meadows, NY.
“There were so many crucial points in the semifinal match,” Schutting said. “I was just able to focus and had the energy to win those crucial points.”
In the final match on Sunday, Schutting fell to UCLA’s Robin Anderson, 6-3 6-4.
The red-hot Anderson didn’t drop a set throughout the entire tournament, showing just why she came into the fall season as the nation’s third ranked player.
“She played great today,” Schutting said. “She moved me around really well. She has lots of variety to her game and she has a great serve.”
Despite faltering in the finals, Schutting’s run at the USTA Billie Jean National King Tennis Center was a memorable one full of comebacks.
In the round of 16, Schutting upset 11th-ranked Danielle Lao of USC, 7-6 (6), 7-5. The game was a back and forth affair that featured a thrilling first set tiebreaker.
Schutting was trailing by three points in the tiebreaker and had to fight off three set points. Despite the uphill battle, Schutting would go on to win five straight points to take the tiebreak, 8-6.
She faced a similar scenario in the semi-finals against Florida’s Sofie Oyen on Saturday. This time trailing by one in a tiebreaker, Schutting drew on her prior success to stave off Oyen and eventually take the set.
“Hard work has given me a lot of confidence,” Schutting said. “Those earlier wins have given me confidence and that earlier match gave me confidence.”
Schutting wasn’t the only Bear to have success on the national stage.
Sophomore Zsofi Susanyi upset the top seeded and undefeated Lauren Embree of Florida, 6-1, 6-1, in the round of 16 to advance to the quarterfinals. Susanyi then defeated USC’s Sabrina Santamaria in three-set thriller, 6-1, 4-6, 6-2, before faltering to Anderson.
Susanyi’s success meant that the national championship featured two Bears in the final four, highlighting the success the program has had this fall campaign.
“That’s part of the tradition of our program,” head coach Amanda Augustus said. “Its probably the best we’ve ever done at the tournament. It’s not just getting matches in the fall. Its about establishing your national rankings for the spring season.”
Despite their success this past weekend, Augustus knows that she has to keep the bigger picture in perspective with the spring season just around the corner. She doesn’t want her team to reach their peak in November because come May, so much more will be on the line.
“Our goal is to let the rest of the country know that our goal is to contend for a NCAA title as a team and in singles and doubles,” Augustus said. “That’s what we train for. Our goal is to peak in May.”
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