W. Tennis players head to Princeton

The idea that college tennis is hardly a team sport would normally be heatedly disputed by the women's tennis team, but this weekend is different as selected team members will be involved in rare individual competition at the Princeton Invitational. The Quakers are represented by singles players Anastasia Pozdniakova and Karen Ridley, and the doubles team of junior Julia Feldman and sophomore Elana Gold. The four Quakers who are competing this weekend are looking forward to playing against some of the East Coast's best competition, but they will be missing the usual team camaraderie. "I'll really miss the aspect of having the rest of the team there to cheer everyone on," junior Ridley said. "It's a lot more fun to be with the whole team." The tournament is composed of singles and doubles draws. The singles draw has 32 individuals participating, and the doubles draw will include 16 different doubles teams. The eight Ivy League schools as well as a few other east coast tennis powers will be represented at Princeton. Each school is sending their top players, so the invitational should be extremely competitive. "The tournament is a really good way to get our top players to play against the top players from other schools in matches which really aren't that important," Penn coach Michael Dowd said. This weekend serves as a nice break from the usual schedule of dual matches. The Quakers are coming off dominant victories over Temple, Rutgers and Penn State. The dual match schedule resumes next weekend with matches at Virginia Commonwealth and Richmond. The team members who are not competing will get a weekend off, while those who are going to Princeton almost feel the same way. "There's really no pressure in this kind of tournament," Pozdniakova said. "It's just a really good way to compare yourself with people from other schools who you will see later in the season." Still, the Quakers will miss their teammates as they play their matches without the usual cheers. This team clearly does not believe that college tennis is anywhere close to being an individual sport. "It's very different to compete individually," Pozdniakova said. "You get so involved with your team's other matches that you almost forget how you did yourself. If you lose in this tournament, you don't have the option of being made happier if the team does well." While the Quakers will not have teammates present to keep their spirits up, the players are looking forward to playing in a tournament that is similar to their junior tennis experiences. "I've really loved individual competition ever since I played in junior leagues," Ridley said. "You really have to depend on yourself to stay pumped without your teammates." There is no question that the Quakers who are competing in this tournament will take their matches very seriously, but winning is not the only thing this weekend. "The main thing is that it's a nice opportunity to just relax and kick back," Dowd said. "It's a fun event." The Quakers plan to enjoy themselves, but they also expect to be successful at Princeton this weekend against some very talented players.