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A Slammin’ Player

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Written by Stephanie Sabatini

Moving to a different state is difficult for anyone. Moving to a new country, however, is a challenge that is hard to even imagine for many teens. Marietta Tuionetoa had to do more than imagine when she made the move from New Zealand to California in 2004. But one thing that did not move is her love of tennis. Now an all-star senior at M-A, Marietta plays one singles for our varsity tennis team, the highest-ranking spot available at Menlo-Atherton.

Marietta is a natural. Her teammates practice three to four times a week to polish their skills, but Marietta, busy with school and responsibilities elsewhere, is “rarely at practice.” Nevertheless, as the top player on the team, Marietta plays the most intense and physically demanding matches against skilled competitors. She has played on the varsity team since her arrival at MA, but her tennis career began long before she came to America.

Marietta was originally interested in swimming, but the family sport of tennis eventually took priority. Because of her family’s influence, it was not a surprise that she got involved. Marietta’s page on the United States Tennis Association website is proof of her immense talent, listing competition successes from as early as 2006 (Link to Marietta’s profile below).

Thanks to her natural skill, Marietta has accumulated numerous achievements. Last year, she aided the team in becoming PAL champions and with the team’s promising record so far, they have a chance to repeat that feat. In October of 2008 she was named the Palo Alto Online Athlete of the Week and was given an honorable mention this October.

Marietta is happy to acknowledge the people who have inspired her and fueled her drive for success. One of these people is Dixie Macias, Marietta’s tennis coach. Macias is the men’s tennis coach at Foothill College, and he has coached Marietta for about four years. She credits him, her parents, and her favorite professional player, Melanie Oudin, with inspiring her love for the game. When Marietta was asked how Macias helped her, she replied, “He’s helped me a lot with the mental part of the game, and he’s also helped me with physical conditioning.” If Macias is the driving force behind Marietta’s mental strength, he has clearly done his job.

Anyone watching a match of Marietta’s would notice that she is quite talented at containing her emotion, whether she is toning down her joy after an ace or keeping her composure after losing a tough match. Although she keeps her poise on the court, she says, “My toughest challenge would have to be getting over a loss. Especially when I had my chances in the match, or if I didn’t play well.” Luckily for Marietta, those times are few and far between.

In the San Jose Mercury News, Tom Sorenson said, “She’s the quintessential team player.” In order to finish off her high school tennis career with a bang, Marietta will have to lead her team to repeat their success at PAL Championships. With the team’s record so far, that looks like a definite possibility.

Marietta’s profile on the USTA website