Nicknamed "The Grinder” by her teammates, ASU women's tennis senior Gussie O'Sullivan is getting the job done in singles play with grit and determination—the only way she knows how.
O’Sullivan has no problem acknowledging she doesn't have the firepower to win easy points with two- or three-shot rallies. Twelve shots per point is often the norm for the native of Melbourne, Australia.
“As much as I would love to step up and hit winners, I just can't do that,” O’Sullivan said. “I’ve been working a lot more on my depth, if I just keep my depth and hold the rally, a lot of girls can’t sustain that.”
Since O’Sullivan arrived on ASU's campus in 2013, head coach Sheila McInerney has counted on competitive singles matches from the No.5 position, regardless of the opponent. O'Sullivan's 54-23 career singles record speaks to her dependability.
And while she might not exhibit the most exciting brand of tennis, O'Sullivan is often the smartest and most accurate player on court.
“Nobody is going to knock her out, she is going to be out there battling the whole time,” McInerney said. “Some kids like to go out there and swing from the heels and maybe loose looking pretty, she would rather win ugly sometimes and there is a lot to be said for that.”
As she always does, Gussie O'Sullivan grinding out her round 1 match. @sundeviltennis #ThunderbirdInvite pic.twitter.com/DdapDXMuZ7
— Joe Jacquez (@joejacquezaz) November 4, 2016
Most of O’Sullivan’s matches require three sets, sometimes with one or multiple tiebreaks, to determine a winner. O’Sullivan works on getting off to better starts, but she is never out of a match.
In October, on day one of the ASU Thunderbird Invitational, O’Sullivan’s perseverance and grind-it-out mentality reached a new level. In one of the longest singles match in program history, O’Sullivan dueled for at least four hours with University of San Diego freshman Gemma Garcia.
The first and second set were both decided in a tiebreak, but O’Sullivan, as she usually does, took control early in the final set. She claimed the first three games and cruised to a 6-7, 7-6, 6-2 first round win.
“I think with my game style, even if I am not winning those (early) games, they're getting tired,” O’Sullivan said. “Just keep working them, eventually they're going to get tired and start missing shots instead of hitting the winners.”
O’Sullivan credits Kody Cook, who does strength and conditioning for several sports including tennis, for her ability to sustain energy late in a three or four hour match.
Thanks a lot rain!
— Sun Devil Tennis (@sundeviltennis) January 20, 2017
Rain out = Work out #BadTradeOff pic.twitter.com/rfTvtdvhHv
“Coach Cook has really put us through the hard yards,” O’Sullivan said. “If we can get through that, then each match, we're in good shape.”
The question becomes, what is the experience like on the other side of the net?
Senior Alexandra Osborne, who has practiced a lot against O’Sullivan over three-plus seasons, believes the ability to adjust is a must.
“She is like a brick wall out there,” Osborne said. "In tennis you don’t want to have to resort to change your game that much because of your opponent, but against Gussie you have to be ready to grind out the point with her because she does get to every ball and doesn’t miss.”
When Osborne and other players finish their singles matches for the day, O’Sullivan is often still on the court. O'Sullivan believes the support she receives from her teammates every point allows her to find an extra gear needed to finish.
O'Sullivan's teammates supporting her during the tiebreak. She is up 4-1. @statepresssport pic.twitter.com/ITTpQRimiZ
— Joe Jacquez (@joejacquezaz) January 22, 2017
At the same time, Osborne recognizes how valuable her fellow Aussie’s heart and passion toward tennis is to the team’s success.
“Her game style helps us get better in practice every day because it allows us to play against someone who won’t miss, really forcing us all to focus or not miss either,” Osborne said. “Her never-say-die attitude to every point is something she brings everyday to practice and matches, a quality that we all look up to greatly on the team.”
Reach the reporter at jpjacqu1@asu.edu or follow @joejacquezaz on Twitter.
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