Ferlito Closes Out Columbia, Leaves Princeton As Ivy's Lone Unbeaten

Sunday, April 12

Princeton, N.J.

1:00 PM

Princeton University

Columbia

Princeton celebrates its 4-2 win over Columbia Sunday afternoon.

Photo by: Karla Donohoe

Ferlito Closes Out Columbia, Leaves Princeton As Ivy's Lone Unbeaten

April 12, 2026 | Women's Tennis

If her palms were sweating, it didn't stop Alice Ferlito from ripping off some huge winners when her Princeton women's tennis teammates needed her most.

This was the situation: It was a showdown between the Ivy League's last two unbeatens, Princeton and Columbia, who were both 4-0 in the league. Princeton won the doubles point and the first two singles matches that finished. Columbia won the next one and was about to finish off a second. The Lions were up a set on one of the remaining courts. Ferlito was trying to close out a win at No. 1 — but it wouldn't be easy.

With her team in desperate need of that clinching point, Ferlito came through, shrugging off a set point in the second set to close out a 6-4, 7-6 win over Gayathri Krishnan and give the Tigers a huge 4-2 victory. Ferlito saved that set point with a massive crosscourt backhand, got to a tiebreaker with a big forehand and closed it out with one last winner, setting off a huge Princeton celebration.

The win improved Princeton to 5-0 in the league and dropped Columbia into a second-place tie with Yale at 4-1 each. Princeton is at Yale Saturday and Brown Sunday, needing one win to clinch at least a share of the Ivy League championship.

It was Senior Day at Princeton for its lone senior, Eva Elbaz, who at No. 3 singles was the other match still going when Ferlito's final winner ended it. Somewhat incredibly, the match on Court 5 ended during the final point of Ferlito's 7-4 tiebreaker, giving the Lions their second point.

Elbaz dropped her first set in a tiebreaker, went up 5-2 in the second set and was up 5-4 when Ferlito's match ended. As they walked off the courts together, Elbaz said that she had thanked Ferlito for the Senior Day gift.

Princeton defeated Cornell 4-3 in Ithaca Friday and didn't get back into Princeton until nearly 1 am. With the quick turnaround and with the large stakes, Princeton took the doubles point, as Tsehay Driscoll and Pearlie Zhang at No. 1 and Elbaz and Bella Chhiv at No. 2 won matching 6-3 sets.

Madeleine Jessup was the first singles player to finish, taking a 6-3, 6-1 win at No. 4. Chhiv was next, making it 2-0 Tigers with a 6-2, 6-1 win at No. 2. It was 3-0 Tigers, but getting that last point wasn't easy.

Putting yourself in position to win championships never is.

Princeton 4, Columbia 2
Singles
No. 1 Alice Ferlito (P) def. Gayathri Krishnan 6-4, 7-6
No. 2 Bella Chhiv (P) def. Emily Baek 6-2, 6-1
No. 3 Eva Elbaz (P) vs. Sophia Wang (C) 6-7 (4-7), 5-4 (DNF)
No. 4 Madeleine Jessup (P) def. Margaret Hui 6-3, 6-1
No. 5 Michelle Li (C) def Pearlie Zhang 2-6, 6-2, 6-0
No. 6 Amber Yin (C) def. Tsehay Driscoll 7-5, 6-4
Order of finish: 4, 2,6,5,1

Doubles
No. 1 Tsehay Driscoll/Pearlie Zhang (P) def. Krishnan Gayathri/Sabrina Lin 6-3
No. 2 Bella Chhiv/Eva Elbaz (P) def. Amber Yin/Michelle Li 6-3
No. 3 Maren Urata/Alice Ferlito (P) vs. Sophia Wang/Emily Baek 4-4 (DNF)
Order of finish: 1,2