Uni High sophomore to play for third at IHSA girls’ tennis state tournament

On Oct. 20th, Kruthi Ramanath found herself in an unusual situation – playing in the IHSA Class 1A state semifinals for girls’ tennis. This was unexpected considering Ramanath’s school, Uni High, doesn’t even have a girls’ tennis team. Despite the odds, the sophomore was determined to make her mark.

In the end, Ramanath fell short of becoming the first Illineks girls’ tennis player to win a state title. Paola Almeda from Chicago University High proved to be a formidable opponent, defeating Ramanath 6-2, 6-2 in the semifinals. However, Ramanath’s journey to this stage was commendable – she won her first three matches on Thursday and secured a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Meredith Converse from Benet in the quarterfinals earlier that Friday.

“Paola is truly an exceptional opponent,” Ramanath shared with The News-Gazette. “She pushed me to my limits. Although it’s tough to accept the loss, I am still proud of my achievements to get this far.”

For the remainder of Friday, Ramanath plans to rest and recover before competing in the third-place match at 8 a.m. on Saturday. Regardless of the outcome, she will bring back the first-ever state medal for a Uni High girls’ tennis player.

“I’m thrilled with my performance in this tournament,” Ramanath expressed. As a freshman last year, she made it to the quarterfinals but fell short in the consolation semifinals. “All the hard work I put in has paid off, and it feels incredible to improve on my previous year’s performance.”