Harvard Women’s Tennis Shines at UMass Minutewomen Invitational

The Harvard women’s tennis team put on a spectacular showing at the UMass Minutewomen Invitational in Amherst, Mass., this past weekend. The Crimson, brimming with poise, swept through its matches, clinching numerous victories across singles and doubles play throughout the three-day tournament.

Day 1

Day one of the the Minutewomen Invitational saw Harvard come out swinging in doubles action. The Crimson’s formidable pairings showcased spectacular synergy, dominating their matches with confidence and power. Junior Rachel Arbitman and sophomore Kavya Karra led the charge, sweeping their UMass opponents with a dazzling 6-0 victory as the duo controlled the pace of the match from the first serve.

Meanwhile, freshman Natalie Block and sophomore Charlotte Owensby mirrored their teammates’ success, breezing past their opponents with another flawless 6-0 victory. To round out the doubles action, senior Angel You and sophomore Anna-Raphëlle Serghi faced stiff resistance, ultimately falling to their opponents 5-7 despite a hard-fought effort.

Nonetheless, the Crimson’s victory in two out of its doubles matches gave the squad an early advantage and set a high bar for the weekend.

With doubles success firmly in hand, the Crimson seamlessly transferred its momentum to singles play, where it once again dominated. Block delivered one of the most commanding victories of the day, overpowering her opponent with a 6-4, 6-1 triumph and leaving little opportunity for her opponent to gain a foothold.

Owensby and Serghi also exhibited stellar performances, both clinching straight-set victories over their opponents. Owensby, matched against UMass’s Jonglertrakul, engaged in a tight battle in the first set, ultimately emerging victorious with a 7-6 decision after an intense tiebreak. Once the first set was secured, Owensby surged ahead, taking the second set 6-1 in commanding fashion. Not to be outdone, Serghi mirrored Owensby’s efforts, outlasting her opponent 7-6, 6-1. The ability of both players to close out tight first sets under pressure before dominating in the second highlighted their mental fortitude and adaptability.

Perhaps the most dramatic singles performance of the day came from Karra, who dropped the first set 5-7 to her opponent. Seemingly undeterred by this early setback, Karra battled back in emphatic fashion, staging an impressive comeback to clinch the second set 6-1. Her determination shined through in the ensuing tiebreaker, as she rallied to defeat her rival 5-7, 6-1 (7) in a tiebreaker, marking her second victory of the day.

However, the day not was not entirely without adversity. Senior co-captain Angel You fought valiantly but was ultimately edged out in a grueling two-setter battle, falling 7-6, 7-6 (6). Yet, even in defeat, You’s relentless fight exemplified the competitive spirit of the Crimson squad and set an example of unwavering perseverance for her younger teammates.

Day 2

Harvard entered day two of the Invitational with the same focus and intensity that had served it well the day prior. Once again, the Crimson picked up another set of wins in both singles and doubles action, with doubles first taking center stage.

The pairing of You and Serghi displayed renewed confidence as they cruised to a 6-2 win over their opponents from the University of Rhode Island. Their success was soon replicated by duo Block and Arbitman, who continued their strong run with a decisive 6-4 finish.

In singles action, Harvard continued to dominate. Serghi dismantled her opponent with a powerful 6-4, 6-0 victory. Karra also displayed her resilience on day two, pulling off another comeback victory in fantastic fashion to claim her second singles victory of the weekend. After dropping the first set 1-6, Karra stormed through the second 6-2 before overcoming her opponent 10-8 in the deciding tiebreak. Karra’s ability to remain calm under pressure and execute in pivotal moments was crucial to her success in this tournament and will undoubtedly be a valuable asset to the team as the season progresses.

Day 3

Day three proved to be another strong outing for the Crimson. As they wrapped up the Minutewoman Invitational, the team continued in its string of successes. Displaying the same grit and tenacity that proved decisive in prior gameplay, the Crimson posted a doubles win and picked up wins in three of four singles matches.

The powerful pairing of Karra and Arbitman carried their energy from Friday’s win, defeating their opponents from St. John’s University in a stunning 6-4 win to open doubles action for the day. Harvard’s other pairing for the day, Block and Serghi, played valiantly against SJU’s Buss and Babikova, but fell narrowly in a 4-6 finish. Even in the loss, the pair demonstrated brilliant resilience and put on a performance that is sure to prove dominant in future matches.

The Crimson continued to display its strength in singles action. Karra wrapped up an undefeated weekend, defeating SJU’s Papadopoulou. After a successful 6-3 first set, Karra dropped the second set 4-6. In a dominant display of perseverance, Karra edged out her opponent 10-5 to clinch the tiebreaker and pick up another win for the Crimson. Block triumphed against her opponent from SJU with a compelling straight-set 6-4, 6-2 victory, one of the highlights of singles action for the day. Serghi put on an admirable performance against SJU’s Nielsen. After winning her first set 6-4, Serghi fell 3-6 in the second set, sending the match to a tiebreaker. Instead of giving up, Serghi battled back, overtaking her opponent 10-5 and securing a crucial singles win for the Crimson. Sophomore Elsie Ragatz closed out singles action for the Crimson, fighting vigorously, but ultimately falling to her opponent 6-1, 6-0.

Looking Forward

With the Minutewomen Invitation now behind them, Harvard returns to Cambridge for its next tournament. Next weekend, the Crimson will host the ITA New England Regionals at the Beren Tennis Center from Thursday, Oct. 10 through Monday, Oct. 14.

The tournament will offer another opportunity for the Crimson to display its talent against competitors and to cement their status as one of the top teams in the region.

—Staff writer Emma de Jong can be reache at emmadejong@thecrimson.com.