Last Saturday, women’s tennis (7–8 overall, 0–1 Ivy League) and men’s tennis (17–6, 1–0) battled against the University of Pennsylvania Quakers in their first Ivy League matches of the 2025 season.
The women’s team opened play at 1 p.m. at the University of Pennsylvania’s Hamlin Outdoor Tennis Center, and the men’s team followed suit at 2 p.m. at Princeton's new home facility, the Meadows Fieldhouse. This match served as both teams’ first since returning from a training-heavy spring break and is the predecessor to the NCAA championships season.
Women’s tennis falls to Penn in a deciding third set
The Tigers played a tough match against the Quakers to open up Ivy League conference play. Coming into the match, both teams stood at a 7–7 overall season record, but ultimately, Penn secured the victory, defeating Princeton 4–3.
The last time the Tigers faced the Quakers in the 2023–24 season, Princeton saw a similar fate, falling by a score of 4–3. After their loss to the Quakers, though, the women’s team went on to reclaim their fate and take the 2024 Ivy League conference title.
“Despite the early setback, we went on to take the Ivy League last year,” sophomore Bella Chhiv told The Daily Princetonian postgame. “We have full belief we can take her home again.”
Doubles play opened with a quick loss for the Tigers, leaving Princeton to scrape their way back into contention. First-year Pearlie Zhang and Chhiv were able to do exactly that with a critical 6–3 win over Penn in the second match.
Only one match was left to decide who would take the doubles point, and sophomore pairing Tsehay Driscoll and Alice Ferlito got out to a strong start, though were eventually bested by Quakers, 6–4.
With a chance for redemption in singles play, junior Eva Elbaz won a momentous match to even the Tigers with the Quakers (6–2, 6-–1), but Penn soon matched that with a singles win of their own. Soon after, first-year Anna Nguyen triumphed over her Quaker opponent with a decisive 6–1, 6–3 win.
For the Tigers there remained two opportunities to take the entire match with Chhiv battling it out, along with Driscoll. Chhiv fended off defeat for the Tigers, winning 6–4, 7–5. The deciding match fell toward Penn, who clinched the win in a nail-biting final set and match.
“Although the loss was heartbreaking and came down to a tight third set, this isn’t unfamiliar territory for us,” Chhiv told the ‘Prince.’ “We faced a similar situation at the start of last year’s Ivy season, falling to Penn 3–4 in another third set clincher. But just like then, we’re holding our heads high.”
The women’s team will keep on with Ivy League play with two matches next weekend, heading north to encounter Harvard on Saturday, April 5 at 1 p.m. in Cambridge, Mass. and Dartmouth on Sunday, April 6 at 1 p.m. in Hanover, N.H.
Men’s tennis clinches first Ivy conference win
Both No. 36 men’s tennis and the No. 45 Penn Quakers entered the weekend day of play with strong winning records, though Princeton came off of two losses in Indian Wells, California, during spring break play.
Princeton turned the tide as they headed into Ivy play, clinching a 4–3 victory over the Quakers. The Tigers cite playing on home turf, at their new Meadows facility, as a great source of pride.
“We’ve defended our home courts well with an 8–1 record and our only home loss to a top five North Carolina State team,” Head Coach Billy Pate told the ‘Prince.’ “We’ve had some great crowds at our home matches which has certainly helped.”
Contention for the doubles point started off rocky for the Tigers when they fell in their first match. Luckily for the Tigers, No. 27 ranked team of senior Filippos Astreinidis and sophomore Paul Inchauspe came to the rescue with a 7–6 tiebreak to take Princeton’s first win of the day.
Juniors Ellis Short and Fnu Nidunjianzan followed suit with another tight 7–6 win, showcasing the Tiger mental resilience in the closest moments of the match. With these two wins, Princeton came forward with possession of the doubles point heading into singles play.
The first two matches of singles play came and went for Princeton as the Tigers clinched the first, but lost the second. Princeton then turned on the boosters as Inchauspe took his match in a decisive two sets (6–2, 6–4).
Only one singles victory stood between Princeton and their first conference win. Short stepped up and sealed the victory in a third singles win for the Tigers (6–4, 6–2). The final two matches went to Penn, but this did not matter, as the victory already belonged to Princeton.
“Getting the first Ivy win against a strong Penn squad was crucial, and we look forward to our home matches this weekend starting with Harvard on Saturday,” Pate told the ‘Prince.’ “Certainly all Ivy matches are important in the conference race, but we need to play to our standard.”
The Tigers are awaiting their match against the fourteenth ranked Crimson at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 5 and Dartmouth at 1 p.m. on Sunday, April 6 for senior day. Both matches will be played in the Tigers’ den at the Meadows Facility.
Josefina Gurevich is a staff Sports writer for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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