Penn’s women’s tennis team has struggled in recent years, but it’s about to get a lift from an incoming tennis prodigy.
Connie Chieh-yu Hsu, currently ranked No. 404 in the world according to the Sony Ericsson Women’s Tennis Association Tour Singles Rankings, will soon be announced as a member of the Class of 2014.
“I know they haven’t been doing that well but I hope this year will be a new start,” Hsu said.
Hsu’s arrival at Penn ends a long journey into NCAA tennis for the Taiwan native.
After winning a 10-and-under national championship in her home country at the age of eight, Hsu was the No. 1 ranked player for girls 12-and-under for a brief time after moving to Ohio.
As one of the higher-ranked Penn’s women’s players in recent history, her addition could not have come at a better time. The Quakers have compiled a 7-29 record in the past two seasons, including 2-12 in the Ivy League, and have not been in serious contention for the Ivy Championship since winning in 2007.
However, Hsu has no doubts Penn is the right choice for her.
“Definitely the academics,” Hsu said when asked about her reason for choosing Penn, “And I really liked the coach.”
That coach, of course, is Sanela Kunovac. While this will only be her second year as the Quakers’ head coach, Kunovac is no stranger to Penn tennis. She is a former Ivy League Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year (2001), a two-time Ivy League Champion (2001, 2002) and the only three-year captain (2001-2004) in Penn history.
“I know she used to be a really good player and she was really nice and she helped me a lot,” Hsu said. “She was always calling me and other coaches weren’t doing that.”
Kunovac’s off-court perseverance and diligence, which were key traits on the court, may have ultimately earned her an outstanding recruit and the start of a turnaround.
The coach was unable to comment due to NCAA rules, since the Quakers’ recruiting class won’t be officially unveiled until later in July.
While others in Hsu’s position may feel pressured to turn the team around, Hsu, who models her game after world No. 1 Rafael Nadal, recognizes that it will be a team effort.
“I’m just going to do my best,” Hsu said. “I actually know a few of the freshmen here and I know that they’re pretty good players so I think this year will be a lot better than what they’ve been doing.”
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