It is a weekend of opportunity for the Harvard women’s tennis team, as it travels to Flushing, N.Y., to compete in the USTA Billie Jean Invitation. The competition, which will be held Oct. 9th-11th, will offer the squad a chance to develop its young players and gain more court-time before beginning Ivy competition.

The Crimson recently finished competing in the Riviera/ITA Women’s All-American Championships in Los Angeles, Calif. Co-captains Holly Cao and Samantha Rosekrans competed in the doubles qualifying draw of the tournament while the rest of the team was defeated in the pre-qualifying rounds. Cao also advanced to the singles qualifying round, but lost to NC State’s Sanaa Bhambri, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4.

Look for Cao, Rosekransas, and sophomore Hideko Tachibana, the reigning Ivy League Rookie of the Year, to lead Harvard in the Billie Jean Invitational. With only one senior on the squad this year, the invitational will be an excellent opportunity for the squad to prove itself and give the younger players a chance to shine as well.