Alexis Prousis has 65 singles players ranked ahead of her, according to a poll released Tuesday by itatennis.com. Two of those players, No. 3 Audra Cohen and No. 16 Cristelle Grier, just happen to be on Prousis’ team.
But coach Claire Pollard said the gap between Prousis and her higher-ranked teammates is not as pronounced as the polls make it seem.
“She’s a victim of the fact that we have to play numbers,” she said. “She’s not getting to play enough great players to prove herself.
“I certainly think she could be playing No. 1 at most other schools.”
With Cohen and Grier in the lineup, Prousis is relegated to the No. 3 singles spot, where she frequently plays opponents who are far below her level.
This is why Prousis’ ranking has dropped 17 spots since Feb. 20, despite winning seven matches in a row and having a record identical to Cohen’s, 14-3.
Prousis said she uses these matches to prime herself for the tougher competition later in the season.
“You just have to take every match like it was Stanford or Duke,” Prousis said. “I just try to work on things I want to do well in bigger matches.”
Prousis has played only two higher-ranked opponents this year, beating both in three sets.
This success extends to her doubles game, where she and partner Kristi Roemer have a six-match winning streak and a No. 36 ranking.
Despite only playing together for a little more than two months, Roemer said the pair’s close relationship off the court has contributed to their 12-3 mark this year.
“We hang out a lot and we’re good friends,” she said. “It definitely helps.”
Junior Jamie Peisel played Prousis on the junior circuit almost ten years ago. Even though Peisel remembers little about the match, she said being on the same team as Prousis has helped her recognize the facets of Prousis’ game.
“She can do just about anything on the court,” Peisel said. “She has good hands and good touch, which is rare in women’s tennis.”
At this point in the season, it seems as if no opponent can challenge Prousis.
Unless her name is Alexis Prousis.
“I could probably not be as hard on myself,” she said.
Two of her three losses this year have come after she won the first set, lost the second and was unable to recover and win the third.
Pollard said Prousis has advanced in her mental game, to the point that she can sometimes use it as an advantage.
“She gets a lot of people enjoying watching her play,” she said. “Even though she is emotional when she plays, she’s learned not to let it affect her.”
Pollard said she “expects great things” from Prousis and hopes to see her garner All-America honors before her NU career is over.
For now, Prousis is putting individual accolades on the back burner, focusing instead on the Wildcats’ drive for the national title.
“If I happen to make singles or doubles, that’s just an added bonus,” she said. “But it’s already been an amazing season.”
She’ll just have to settle for being one of the best No. 3 singles players in the country.
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