LA JOLLA, Calif. – Coronado’s own tennis pro Narelle Pettee and doubles partner Masako Beppu advanced to the quarterfinals of the USTA National Women’s Senior Hard Court Championships on Tuesday after handily defeating Roxanne McMillen and Christy Akin, 6-2, 6-3.
Pettee and Beppu, competing in the 70-79 age group, managed well under blustery conditions at the La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club. Their combination of consistency, strong net play, offensive lobs, and ability to change tactics when needed contributed to their dominant win.
The tournament features top players from across the country in the 50, 60, 70, and 80 and over divisions in singles and doubles. The USTA awards gold, silver and bronze balls to the first, second and third place finishers in all events.
Pettee and Beppu also played together in last year’s national tournament and won a bronze ball in the 70-79 year age group.
Most around the Coronado Tennis Center know Pettee. She still plays in adult tennis leagues with those 18 and over, and she is still competitive against the younger set.
What the community may not know is that Pettee and Beppu are ranked 19th in the nation (yes the nation!), fourth in Southern California, and third in San Diego in the Women’s 70 National Standings Team Doubles.
Not only is she a great player herself, she has shared her love of the game with children and adults in Coronado for decades. Making tennis joyful and meaningful has always been Pettee’s passion.
“Coach Narelle made tennis fun and instilled a love of the sport in me that I still have 15 years later,” said Jake Lamb, who took his first-ever tennis lessons from Pettee, and later played on the Coronado High School tennis team.
“Narelle is an amazing tennis player and coach,” said Samantha Nelson, a tennis player and Coronado resident who captained several USTA teams. “Not only did I have the privilege of taking lessons from her, she also helped coach our team through leagues, to sectionals, and then on to Nationals. Her insights and way of coaching made a huge impact on me and the team! She has a way of sharing her knowledge that sticks with you. I’ll be forever grateful for her part in my tennis journey!”
Round of 16 Match
Pettee and Beppu started the match off strong, going up 5-0 and winning more than twice as many points as their opponents: 23 to 11. Their tennis was nearly flawless.
Beppu “is like a backboard,” said Don Pettee, the pair’s biggest cheerleader and Narelle’s husband. “You can’t get anything by her.”
McMillen and Akin were not ready to give in, however. They won two games before Pettee and Beppu regained their stride and won the set, 6-2.
Tennis players know that winning in straight sets can be challenging, especially after winning a set with relative ease, because the opposing team may change strategy, adapt to the winning team’s style, or simply begin to play fearlessly.
McMillen and Akin started the second set by taking the first two games, going up 2-0.
“The match was tricky because we felt like we were rolling along … and then they started to make adjustments,” said Pettee. “They lobbed us and were killing us on lobs. So then we got stuck in bad positions and were trying for too much … They changed the pace of the ball and came into the net.”
Pettee and Beppu responded to the change in strategy with a strategy change of their own, however, and won five consecutive games without ever playing a deuce game, to go up 5-2.
Pettee reflected that she and Beppu strategized by taking the net away from their opponents, trying to hit to their opponent’s backhands and lobbing over their backhand side. In other words, they adjusted to their opponent’s adjustments.
At 5-2, and up love-40 (the opposing team was serving), the pair appeared on the brink of victory with triple match point. McMillen and Akin fought back again, however, and won five straight points to take the game and narrow Pettee and Beppu’s lead to 5-3.
Losing a game where a team has had three chances for victory is demoralizing. Pettee and Beppu now needed to hold serve to not only win the set but to avoid being on serve and allowing their opponents back into the match.
Now at 5-3, it was Pettee’s turn to serve. The team lost the first point but won the next four straight by way of a great serve, a missed overhead by the opposing team, and two well-placed powerful winners for game, set, and match, 6-2, 6-3.
“It was hard, but Masako played a great game at the net, and when she does that, it takes the pressure off me,” said Pettee. “So if I can get a serve in a decent place, then I think it makes it easier for her, and that helps me. So, yeah, that was not a good place to be: 5-2, (winning) love-40, and losing the game.”
Next, Pettee and Beppu play second seeds Lisa Musgrave (from Palatine, Ill.) and Una Davis (from La Jolla) in the quarterfinals. Match time is scheduled for 3:30 on Wednesday May 7 at La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club. The event is free. Parking is $20.
To stay up-to-date on match times and results, see the draw here. Wishing Narelle and Masako the best!
From La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club – The La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club started each of these events and has hosted them since inception. Designated one of the Top 50 Tennis Resorts in the world by Tennis Resorts Online, the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club’s reputation as a top tennis destination started in 1942 when it attracted its first major tournament, the Pacific Coast Men’s Doubles Championship.
