MONROE - Joe Soddy, a 2004 Monroe High School graduate, did something no one has done in the past 12 years of the Monroe City Singles Tournament: He defeated 11-time champion Al Schroeder.
Soddy defeated Schroeder in a grueling three sets Sunday 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 to win the championship in the class A men's tournament.
It marks the first time Schroeder had lost a singles match in the city tournament since 2005 when he lost the title match to Kevin Monahan in three sets. Schroeder was seeking a fourth straight title, but came up short.
Soddy, now a math teacher at Einstein Middle School in Appleton and the tennis coach for Appleton North High School, was excited to get over the hump and beat Schroeder for the first time in four finals matchups.
"It feels really good," said Soddy, who won his second city singles championship. "Al's a great player. The gold standard in singles is Al. I won it in 2013, but it didn't count because Al wasn't there."
Schroeder had a 3-2 lead in the third set and was up 40-15 in the sixth game. Soddy battled back to win it and pulled out a critical game to tie the set at 3.
"I was feeling kind of dead," Soddy said. "I scored a couple of points in a row and it put the wind back into my sails."
Schroeder was seeking his 12th overall title and fourth straight.
"It wasn't my best match or my worst match," he said. "Joe's net play and serves were way better than those other years. His net play was superior. I hit too many short balls and he made me pay way too often."
After a first-round bye, Schroeder defeated Monroe's Silas Setterstrom 6-4, 6-3. Soddy beat Kevin Monahan in the semifinals 6-1, 6-0.
In a third-place match, Setterstrom beat Monahan 6-4, 7-5. Matt Monahan knocked off Chris Garrow in three sets to take fifth 3-6, 6-4, 6-2.
In the women's tournament, Greta Rath, Monroe, went 4-0 to win the championship. Rath defeated Monroe sophomore Grace Tostrud in the title match 7-5, 6-2. Rath breezed through a first-round match defeating Monroe junior Becky Thoman 6-1, 6-1. She then rolled to a 6-4, 6-4 win over Monroe senior Maggie Setterstrom. In the semifinals, Rath knocked off Monroe sophomore Jensen Christensen 6-4, 6-2.
Tostrud defeated Skye Allen 6-3, 6-4. In the semifinals, Tostrud beat Monroe senior Hallie Signer 6-2, 6-2.
In the third-place match, Signer beat Christensen 6-2, 7-5. Setterstrom defeated Allen 6-3, 6-0 in the fifth-place match.
The Class B men's had a round-robin tournament featuring four players. Ellyott Baertschi captured the title going 3-0. Baertschi defeated Nick Dearth 6-2, 6-1. He then breezed to a 6-0, 6-0 win over Christopher Andraski. In the final round, Baerttschi edged Steve Wandfluh in three sets 7-6 (2), 1-6, 10-5.
Soddy defeated Schroeder in a grueling three sets Sunday 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 to win the championship in the class A men's tournament.
It marks the first time Schroeder had lost a singles match in the city tournament since 2005 when he lost the title match to Kevin Monahan in three sets. Schroeder was seeking a fourth straight title, but came up short.
Soddy, now a math teacher at Einstein Middle School in Appleton and the tennis coach for Appleton North High School, was excited to get over the hump and beat Schroeder for the first time in four finals matchups.
"It feels really good," said Soddy, who won his second city singles championship. "Al's a great player. The gold standard in singles is Al. I won it in 2013, but it didn't count because Al wasn't there."
Schroeder had a 3-2 lead in the third set and was up 40-15 in the sixth game. Soddy battled back to win it and pulled out a critical game to tie the set at 3.
"I was feeling kind of dead," Soddy said. "I scored a couple of points in a row and it put the wind back into my sails."
Schroeder was seeking his 12th overall title and fourth straight.
"It wasn't my best match or my worst match," he said. "Joe's net play and serves were way better than those other years. His net play was superior. I hit too many short balls and he made me pay way too often."
After a first-round bye, Schroeder defeated Monroe's Silas Setterstrom 6-4, 6-3. Soddy beat Kevin Monahan in the semifinals 6-1, 6-0.
In a third-place match, Setterstrom beat Monahan 6-4, 7-5. Matt Monahan knocked off Chris Garrow in three sets to take fifth 3-6, 6-4, 6-2.
In the women's tournament, Greta Rath, Monroe, went 4-0 to win the championship. Rath defeated Monroe sophomore Grace Tostrud in the title match 7-5, 6-2. Rath breezed through a first-round match defeating Monroe junior Becky Thoman 6-1, 6-1. She then rolled to a 6-4, 6-4 win over Monroe senior Maggie Setterstrom. In the semifinals, Rath knocked off Monroe sophomore Jensen Christensen 6-4, 6-2.
Tostrud defeated Skye Allen 6-3, 6-4. In the semifinals, Tostrud beat Monroe senior Hallie Signer 6-2, 6-2.
In the third-place match, Signer beat Christensen 6-2, 7-5. Setterstrom defeated Allen 6-3, 6-0 in the fifth-place match.
The Class B men's had a round-robin tournament featuring four players. Ellyott Baertschi captured the title going 3-0. Baertschi defeated Nick Dearth 6-2, 6-1. He then breezed to a 6-0, 6-0 win over Christopher Andraski. In the final round, Baerttschi edged Steve Wandfluh in three sets 7-6 (2), 1-6, 10-5.
