Yale’s Edward Liao Reaches Semifinals at Ivy League Tennis Tournament

At the Ivy League Qualifier Tournament held at the Hecht Tennis Center, Yale University’s sophomore player Edward Liao showcased impressive skills, securing a semifinal finish. The tournament featured competition from prestigious institutions including the University of Pennsylvania, Princeton, Dartmouth, Brown, and Harvard.

Yale’s squad comprised Liao, Jim Ji (Class of 2027), Krish Gupta (Class of 2028), and Troy Kudrjavtsev (Class of 2029) in singles matches. In doubles, Liao partnered with Kudrjavtsev, while Ji teamed up with Gupta. Team captain Eric Li (Class of 2026) expressed a positive outlook despite the challenges faced during the tournament. “Overall the team did well. We could have executed better in singles, but we learned a lot from this weekend in singles and doubles,” Li noted.

The Bulldogs faced a rocky start on the tournament’s first day. Ji, Gupta, and Kudrjavtsev encountered tough competition, losing closely contested matches against Princeton and Penn. Both doubles teams also fell short against their rivals from Princeton and Penn. Liao, however, stood out by clinching a decisive victory over Brown with a score of 6-3, 6-3, advancing to the round of 16.

Reflecting on his performance, Liao stated, “I thought I performed well. After having a rough weekend at Regionals, I was glad I was able to bounce back. I was serving well and coming to the net. It was something me and my coaches have been working on.”

The second day brought more favorable results for Yale. In the doubles consolation match, the Ji-Gupta pair triumphed over Dartmouth with an 8-4 victory. In singles, although Gupta, Ji, and Kudrjavtsev faced defeats against the Brown Bears, they fought tenaciously, with matches going to three sets. Gupta lost narrowly with scores of 5-7, 7-5, 10-8, while Ji was edged out 6-4, 2-6, 10-7.

Liao continued his strong performance by overcoming Princeton in a hard-fought three-set match, finishing 6-7, 6-1, 6-2, which secured him a place in the semifinals.

On the tournament’s final day, Liao commenced with a dominant performance against Penn, winning in straight sets 6-2, 6-4. His semifinal bout was against the top-ranked collegiate player, Michael Zheng from Columbia. Although Liao fought valiantly, he ultimately fell 6-2, 6-3.

“My biggest takeaway from my performance is that I have the level and the skill to hang with the best players in the Ivy League,” Liao remarked. Looking ahead, Yale’s next competition will be the Georgia Tech Invitational, starting on Friday. The team’s performance at the Ivy League Qualifier showcases their potential and sets a hopeful tone for the upcoming matches.