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Tennis junior Simmons rediscovering game after break

DOWN THE MIDDLE: Sophomore midfielder Taylor McCarter dribbles between two Washington defenders during Sunday's game. Despite a 1-0 loss, ASU coach Kevin Boyd said the team played its best possession game all year.
DOWN THE MIDDLE: Sophomore midfielder Taylor McCarter dribbles between two Washington defenders during Sunday's game. Despite a 1-0 loss, ASU coach Kevin Boyd said the team played its best possession game all year.

It’s often forgotten that the players who take to the field, court or pool representing a university are more than athletes; they are student-athletes.

Sianna Simmons, global studies major and junior on the ASU tennis team, took time off from the sport over the summer to be a student of the world. After the break, she is back on track with her tennis game.

The State Press caught up with Simmons recently to talk about what it was like coming back to tennis after taking a month off to live in another country.

The State Press: You took off playing tennis for a summer to study abroad. What was that like?

Sianna Simmons: I was gone for half the summer. I went to Spain. It was a great experience. I stayed with a Spanish mom, who didn’t speak a word of English. I didn’t play much over there, but once I got back into the U.S., I started training again.

SP: What was your favorite memory from the trip?

SS: They had this weeklong celebration called Las Hogueras. Everybody in the city, in Alicante, takes off work. They block off a main road in the city and filled it with shopping and food.

SP: Did you find that a lot of people in Spain play tennis?

SS: We were pretty involved with school and our group. We went to different parts of Spain on the weekend, so we didn’t have free time to play tennis, but they do have a big tennis community over there.

SP: Was it difficult coming back to tennis after not playing for a month?

SS: Yes, it was frustrating because I wanted to come back like I had been playing at the end of the spring, but I was definitely rusty. Over there, they didn’t have gyms, so I was just running a lot. I was in shape, but tennis-wise I was rusty.

SP: How do you feel you played in the Cal Nike tournament?

SS: It was much better than last year. It was more of a confidence issue on pulling those matches out. I had a really close match my first round.

SP: Is the confidence thing a problem for you all the time?

SS: I think it is the confidence of playing tournaments, because during the summer I didn’t get to play many tournaments. Being match tough and match ready is different than playing well in practice. Being able to have that confidence in a match and knowing that you can close it out is something that you need to practice.

SP: What are some of your goals for this season?

SS: I’d really like to get a ranking this year. That means having some strong wins in the fall season.

SP: Being a junior, you’ve been in the program for a while now. Have you noticed any changes over the years?

SS: I’ve matured a lot off the court, and especially on the court. I made some big strides mentally. I’m having a lot more fun now because I’m not taking it so seriously, like life or death situations.

SP: Did you really take it that seriously?

SS: Yes, I still am to some degree a perfectionist. I was very concerned about every single point if I won it or lost it. I think that made me not have as much fun, and now I realized that tennis is hard and it takes more than one point to win a match.

SP: What is the strongest part of your game?

SS: I’m very athletic. I can move very well. I have a great serve and great ground strokes. When I came in, I had a lot of athletic ability, but I wasn’t using much besides hitting hard, but now I’m aware of the spins you can use. My versatility is my strongest point.

Reach the reporter at nklauss@asu.edu


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