Pueblo – Nothing came easily for Christina Cutter and the Cheyenne Mountain High School girls tennis team Friday at the Class 4A state tournament at the City Park Tennis Complex.
Cutter ground out a three-hour, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 win over South’s Sarah Drummond at No. 1 singles to advance to today’s 9 a.m. title match for the second year in a row. Cutter is favored to claim the elusive championship after finishing as runner-up a year ago, when the Indians also wound up in second place in the team standings.
In a perfectly scripted final, Cutter faces Catherine Duboc of Kent Denver with the defending champion Sun Devils trying to make it three team trophies in succession.
That matchup at No. 1 singles is the only head-to-head between the teams, who have dueled since the first volley Thursday morning.
Cutter helped the Indians take an advantage into the early afternoon Friday, only to have Kent reel them in with points in a late playback match to force a 58-58 tie at the top.
Cutter already defeated Duboc twice this season, winning a three-setter and then in two, so advantage Cheyenne Mountain in that matchup.
The rest is anyone’s guess as Kent’s Lauren Miller tries for a third title at No. 2 singles and Cheyenne’s Casey Wetzig shoots for a repeat at No. 3.
Each of the two teams has a pair of doubles finalists as well.
“We don’t want to know the points,” Miller said after dispatching Cayley Wetzig of Cheyenne 6-3, 6-4 in their No. 2 singles semifinal. “My two older sisters played, and I’ve been coming here (to state) since I was about 10. My mom knows not to talk about the team points.”
“You get psyched out if you start thinking about them,” Miller said after she extended her perfect record this season. “I didn’t feel like I played very well. My shots weren’t there and I had to rely on my athleticism, play a lot of defense.”
Drummond, a local favorite, took control early with steady, consistent play.
“She barely made any unforced errors. She pulled off some great shots down the line,” Cutter said.
But the Cheyenne senior refused to fold and rallied to win the second set.
They duked it out through the third, breaking the other’s serve until Cutter grabbed the advantage at the finish.
“I was trying to focus on my shot selection, not going for winners on the run but waiting until I was set,” Cutter said.
Said Drummond: “I’ve been working on being more aggressive, going to the net more. I didn’t think either one of us was up by more than two games ever.”
“That was just a great match. They were like mirrors out there,” South coach Norm Vail said. “Each had a chance to pack their bags and go home, and they didn’t.”
