Led by freshman Krishnamurthy, Ivy-favorite Tigers look to build on successful fall

Great expectations could be the theme for the women's tennis team this year. The Tigers are looking to win the Ivy League and by doing so, earn an NCAA tournament berth. But instead of just building castles in the sky, Princeton is already well on its way to realizing those expectations.

"We're going into the spring season coming off our best fall in a long time," head coach Louise Gengler '75 said. "We've got an outstanding No. 1 player [Kavitha Krishnamurthy] combined with a team that's doing really well."

Thus far the team owns of a 6-0 record. The Tigers are currently ranked No. 46 in the nation — the highest of any Ivy school — after winning the ECAC championships in October.

"The spring is the real test," sophomore Kristi Watson said. "We're no longer the underdog and we have to prove that we should win the Ivies."

The Tigers are the team to beat in league play, having already defeated both Penn and Harvard in preseason competition. Any team looking to beat Princeton will have to rely on more than just luck. Playing Russian roulette will prove futile — the Tigers are playing with a loaded gun.

Leadoff hitter

Freshman Krishnamurthy starts things off with a bang from the top of the lineup, dominating the No. 1 position on the team and holding her own across the country.

"I don't really know what to expect heading into the Ivies," Krishnamurthy said. "Everyone's really good and I'll just try to stay on top of my game."

Krishnamurthy appears to be more than just on top of her game. She was ranked as high as No. 13 in the nation this season and had a 25-match winning streak last fall. She won the ITA Eastern Regional, the Cissie Leary Invitational and the Georgia Invitational.

Despite all her personal success, however, Krishnamurthy's was filled with excitement about the team.

"I'm really excited that the team is doing so well," Krishnamurthy said. "We all click really well. It's a nice feeling to be playing for a team."

Depth seems to be Princeton's biggest strength. The Tigers return almost all of last year's squad — including six sophomores — all now with a year of experience behind them.

"We can win at all six [singles] spots," Watson said. "Many teams just have a couple good players."

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Senior Amanda Hastings-Phillips, junior Gailor Large and sophomore Priya Bhupathi used the Princeton Invitational two weeks ago as an opportunity to prove themselves as forces on the team. They succeeded with flying colors.

Hastings-Phillips and Large coasted to a championship in the doubles tournament. They have been ranked as high as No. 38 in the nation this season in doubles play. Bhupathi surprised the rest of the competition by advancing all the way to the tournament final in singles.

The team heads to California this week for its spring trip in search of increased levels of competition. The Tigers will play teams positioned right around them in the national rankings. But they'll have to do it without Krishnamurthy — who opted to forgo the trip for personal reasons.

"It'll be more difficult to win without Krishnamurthy, but we've got the depth to do it," head coach Louise Gengler '75 said. "This will be a good test."