Northwest Herald 2021 girls tennis preview: 5 to watch

Here are five girls tennis players to watch in the Northwest Herald area this season.

Isha Desai, Jacobs, jr. – Desai and Lindsay Cunningham, her doubles partner, were the Northwest Herald Girls Tennis Players of the Year after winning the Fox Valley Conference No. 1 doubles and going 2-2 at the Class 2A State Tournament. Desai will play either No. 2 singles or at No. 1 doubles with a new partner. — Jacobs' Isha Desai

Isha Desai, Jacobs, sr.

Desai rolled through the Fox Valley Conference No. 2 singles bracket and took third place the Class 2A Cary-Grove Sectional singles bracket, which would have earned her a trip to the state tournament, had there been one. She was Northwest Herald All-Area second team for singles.

Ruhi Gulati, Huntley, so. – Gulati was the runner-up at the Fox Valley Conference Tournament to Jacobs' Chloe Siegfort, and she went on to qualify for the Class 2A state tournament. She was a steady presence for Huntley in the No. 1 singles spot. The Red Raiders finished third in the FVC regular season and tournament. Gulati was a Class 2A state qualifier, where she went 1-2. — Huntley's Ruhi Gulati

Ruhi Gulati, Huntley, sr.

Gulati finished 22-4, with all of her losses coming against Jacobs’ Chloe Siegfort, the Northwest Herald Player of the Year. She was FVC and Cary-Grove Sectional runner-up to Siegfort and is a two-time All-Area first-team selection.

Kylie Phommasack, Huntley, sr.

Phommasack and teammate Michelle Barnvos were FVC runners-up at No. 1 doubles and came back the next week to win the Cary-Grove Sectional doubles championship over Jacobs’ Lara Santa-Ines and Kaya Trumbo. Phommasack will be back at No. 1 doubles. Red Raiders coach Barry Wells is looking for the best fit to step in for Barnvos.

Jacobs' Kaya Trumbo, left, and Lara Santa-Ines celebrate a point against Cary-Grove during their girls tennis meet at Jacobs High School on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2020, in Algonquin. — Jacobs' Kaya Trumbo, left, and Lara Santa-Ines are back to defend their Fox Valley Conference title at No. 1 doubles.

Kaya Trumbo, sr., Lara Santa-Ines, jr. Jacobs

Trumbo and Santa-Ines were the FVC No. 1 doubles champions and are back to defend their title. Trumbo won the FVC No. 2 singles title as a sophomore and Santa-Ines won No. 3 as a freshman before teaming up for the No. 1 doubles title last year. They were Class 2A C-G Sectional runners-up to Huntley’s Michelle Barnvos and Kylie Phommasack.

Savannah Webb, soph., Richmond-Burton — Richmond-Burton's Savannah Webb

Savannah Webb, Richmond-Burton, jr.

Webb plays an extensive U.S. Tennis Association schedule throughout the year and only competes in the high school postseason since R-B does not have a team. She should be a force in Class 1A after finishing as Antioch Sectional runner-up to Lakes’ Megan Heuser, the 2019 Class 1A state champion who now plays at Illinois.