Ramanath, Houpt in running for state medals

On Oct. 21, Kruthi Ramanath, a sophomore at Uni High, had a relaxed plan for her Friday night in the suburbs of Chicago.

“After a tiring day of playing tennis, I like to take it easy,” Ramanath chuckled. “I’ll have a nice meal and just unwind in my hotel room.”

Ramanath had two successful days at the IHSA girls’ state tournament and will achieve Uni High’s highest-ever finish in girls’ tennis by the end of Saturday night.

Although she won’t play for the singles state title, Ramanath has a chance to win a third-place medal if she defeats Hinsdale South junior Chloe Goins in the upcoming match at 8 a.m. Saturday.

Impressively, Ramanath attends a high school that doesn’t have a girls’ tennis team.

“I usually find hitting partners wherever I can,” Ramanath explained. “I often play with them and participate in USTA tournaments, about one or two weekends a month. It’s a great opportunity to gain tournament experience before the IHSA postseason.”

Ramanath became the sectional champion earlier this week in Danville, defeating Anna Houpt from Danville in the final match. Since she arrived in the Chicago suburbs, Ramanath has maintained a 4-1 record. On Thursday, she won three matches to advance to the quarterfinals, where she had reached in her IHSA state tournament debut last year. On Friday morning, Ramanath surpassed her previous achievement by defeating Benet junior Meredith Cosgrove 6-4, 6-2.

Unfortunately, Ramanath couldn’t defeat her semifinal opponent, as Chicago University High junior Paola Almeda won 6-2, 6-2.

“Paola is an incredible opponent,” Ramanath acknowledged. “She left me with no chance. It was tough to face that loss, but I’m still proud of making it this far.”

However, Ramanath knows that she will return home with a newfound appreciation for her game and is determined to leave a lasting impact in her remaining two years of high school.

“I’m absolutely thrilled with my performance in this tournament,” Rumanath exclaimed. “All my hard work has paid off, and it feels immensely satisfying to improve upon my previous year’s achievements.”

Ramanath isn’t the only local girls’ tennis player who will be playing on the final day of the season. Danville sophomore, Anna Houpt, also has the opportunity to bring home a fifth-place medal.

Houpt advanced to the quarterfinals after a flawless 3-0 record on the first day of the state tournament.

Unfortunately, Goins defeated her 6-1, 6-3 in the quarterfinals on Friday. However, Houpt rallied and secured a 9-8 (4) victory against Chicago Payton senior Lila Tanabe in the consolation quarterfinals. Houpt will now face Chicago University High freshman Sophia Holt in a consolation semifinal match on Saturday. If she triumphs against Holt, she will advance to the fifth-place match against either Converse or Fairfield senior Lisa Tomasi.