MONROE - Al Schroeder didn't doubt that he could come back and win the 41st annual Park and Recreation Class A men's city singles tennis tournament on Sunday.
Not even after Joe Soddy battled back from a 5-2 deficit and won a tiebreaker 7-6 to win the first set. At the end of the first set, however, Schroeder, 44, of Monroe, made a decision not to attack the net as much. He opted to hit power shots down the lines and deep to the baseline, and he rallied to knock off Soddy 6-3, 6-1 to win his seventh straight city singles championship.
"When I started I never thought about winning seven in a row or eight of the last 10," said Schroeder who is in an elite 4.5 level USTA tennis league in Madison on Tuesdays. "I never thought it was possible."
Soddy, who has faced Schroeder in the championship match for two straight years, capped a big comeback in the first set with a powerful serve that Schroeder couldn't return to send it to a tiebreaker. Soddy won the tiebreaker on a precise overhead shot at the net that went down the line.
"I know that Joe is better at the net than me," Schroeder said. "That nice play at the net is where he won the first set. The thing I have learned (from three set and tiebreakers) is that you have to forget about it and go on."
So Schroeder changed his strategy, and it paid off.
"I wanted to stay back and hit the ball and make him run around and tire him out," Schroeder said. "He covers so much area at the net. His passing was good. The only thing he struggled with was when he got tired."
Schroeder said after hitting about 100 shots in the match, the tennis balls get tired.
"It's harder to end points with velocity and power shots," he said.
Instead, Schroeder relies on his conditioning. He said he has been riding his bike and running to remain in shape.
"My conditioning was huge," he said. "I have to stay in shape to beat the younger guys."
Schroeder opened the tournament with a 6-0, 6-4 win over Ed Sommers. He then defeated Monroe boys tennis coach Brad Saugstad 6-0, 6-4 in the semifinals. Saugstad took third place by defeating Chris Garrow 6-3, 6-2.
"It was better than I expected to do," Saugstad said. "Al is such a good player. He pushed me around the whole first set. Usually you can rely on the other player to make mistakes. Al just doesn't make mistakes. I would hit my best shot and he would hit it back even better."
Soddy defeated Rich Vincent in the quarterfinals 6-0, 6-2 and defeated Garrow 6-0, 6-3 in the semifinals.
Monroe sophomore Matt Monahan defeated sophomore Jeremy Miller in three sets 6-3, 0-6, 6-3 to win the Class B Open title. Monahan played No. 4 singles in the spring for the Cheesemakers.
"We are good friends and it's a rivalry," Monahan said. "It's always been really close between me and him."
Monahan had to battle some mixed emotions in the second set.
"In the second set, I felt like I was overhitting and lost my focus," he said. "I was complaining about the heat."
He made an adjustment to seal the victory by winning the third set.
"I stopped trying to hit it too hard, lobbed it and tried to play more aggressive at the net," he said.
Emily Grossen, one of the few high school girls in the tournament, defeated Kevin Kohlstedt 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 to take third place. In the consolation, Jess Hager defeated David Wuetrich 4-6, 6-1, 6-0. There were eight high school boys tennis players in the tournament.
"Getting competition is the best way for them to improve," Saugstad said. "Matt Monahan and Jeremy Miller are playing so much better than they did at the end of the season. It's great to see the improvements they have already made this summer."
Not even after Joe Soddy battled back from a 5-2 deficit and won a tiebreaker 7-6 to win the first set. At the end of the first set, however, Schroeder, 44, of Monroe, made a decision not to attack the net as much. He opted to hit power shots down the lines and deep to the baseline, and he rallied to knock off Soddy 6-3, 6-1 to win his seventh straight city singles championship.
"When I started I never thought about winning seven in a row or eight of the last 10," said Schroeder who is in an elite 4.5 level USTA tennis league in Madison on Tuesdays. "I never thought it was possible."
Soddy, who has faced Schroeder in the championship match for two straight years, capped a big comeback in the first set with a powerful serve that Schroeder couldn't return to send it to a tiebreaker. Soddy won the tiebreaker on a precise overhead shot at the net that went down the line.
"I know that Joe is better at the net than me," Schroeder said. "That nice play at the net is where he won the first set. The thing I have learned (from three set and tiebreakers) is that you have to forget about it and go on."
So Schroeder changed his strategy, and it paid off.
"I wanted to stay back and hit the ball and make him run around and tire him out," Schroeder said. "He covers so much area at the net. His passing was good. The only thing he struggled with was when he got tired."
Schroeder said after hitting about 100 shots in the match, the tennis balls get tired.
"It's harder to end points with velocity and power shots," he said.
Instead, Schroeder relies on his conditioning. He said he has been riding his bike and running to remain in shape.
"My conditioning was huge," he said. "I have to stay in shape to beat the younger guys."
Schroeder opened the tournament with a 6-0, 6-4 win over Ed Sommers. He then defeated Monroe boys tennis coach Brad Saugstad 6-0, 6-4 in the semifinals. Saugstad took third place by defeating Chris Garrow 6-3, 6-2.
"It was better than I expected to do," Saugstad said. "Al is such a good player. He pushed me around the whole first set. Usually you can rely on the other player to make mistakes. Al just doesn't make mistakes. I would hit my best shot and he would hit it back even better."
Soddy defeated Rich Vincent in the quarterfinals 6-0, 6-2 and defeated Garrow 6-0, 6-3 in the semifinals.
Monroe sophomore Matt Monahan defeated sophomore Jeremy Miller in three sets 6-3, 0-6, 6-3 to win the Class B Open title. Monahan played No. 4 singles in the spring for the Cheesemakers.
"We are good friends and it's a rivalry," Monahan said. "It's always been really close between me and him."
Monahan had to battle some mixed emotions in the second set.
"In the second set, I felt like I was overhitting and lost my focus," he said. "I was complaining about the heat."
He made an adjustment to seal the victory by winning the third set.
"I stopped trying to hit it too hard, lobbed it and tried to play more aggressive at the net," he said.
Emily Grossen, one of the few high school girls in the tournament, defeated Kevin Kohlstedt 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 to take third place. In the consolation, Jess Hager defeated David Wuetrich 4-6, 6-1, 6-0. There were eight high school boys tennis players in the tournament.
"Getting competition is the best way for them to improve," Saugstad said. "Matt Monahan and Jeremy Miller are playing so much better than they did at the end of the season. It's great to see the improvements they have already made this summer."
