Key tennis team set for state competition

From the basement of the league to the top, the women’s U.S. Tennis Association 3.0 team at the Longboat Key Club is going to the state championship tournament this weekend, in Daytona Beach.

“We’ve been at or near the bottom every single year until now,” co-captain Cynthia Craig said. “But we finally won our league this year, and it’s been an amazing team effort. We’ve gotten so much support.”

The team went 9-1 this season, which began in January. Twenty women play on the team, and nine are going to Daytona Beach.

“It’s been a great experience,” co-captain Marcia Gutridge said. “We have women from all over the world coming together to play on this team. Some of us didn’t even start playing tennis until we were 60.”

Although the team is proud to have qualified for the state tournament, the players also have their sights set on the national tournament in July, in Arizona.

“We’re going for the win,” Gutridge said. “We’re going for the big one.”