April 15, 2011

Women's Tennis Enters Stretch Run in Wide-Open Title Race

Portions courtesy of Princeton Athletic Communications

PRINCETON, N.J. -- In one of the most tightly-contested title races in recent history, the Ivy League women's tennis title is up for grabs among five teams entering the final three conference matches.

Brown (15-6 overall, 4-0 Ivy) and Dartmouth (12-7, 4-0) sit atop of the standings entering the final full slate of League play this weekend with Yale (18-4, 3-1), Harvard (8-7, 3-1) and Princeton (10-9, 3-2) close behind. This weekend's matchups should help break up the lockjam at the top as Dartmouth hosts Brown and Harvard welcomes Yale on Friday and Brown plays host to Harvard and Yale is at home against Dartmouth on Sunday. Princeton travels to Columbia on Friday then is back on its home courts Sunday against Cornell in its regular-season finale.

The other four teams close out their regular seasons next weekend on Saturday, April 23 as Brown hosts Yale and Harvard entertains Dartmouth.

All five teams are ranked among the best in the nation, ranked in the top 75 in the April 12 Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Rankings with Yale at No. 36, Brown at No. 45, Princeton at No. 50, Dartmouth at No. 63 and Harvard at No. 66. That puts the Ivy League as one of just four conferences with as high as 62 percent of its women's teams ranked, alongside the SEC, ACC and Big 12.

Penn's freshman sensation Connie Hsu continues to be Ivies' bright star in individual play. Hsu, ranked 26th in the latest ITA Rankings, has been perfect in spring dual match play, winning all 18 of her matches so far at the No. 1 singles position. Partnering with senior Alexa Ely at No. 1 doubles, Hsu has only lost one doubles match in 15 spring contests.

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