Simon Elfrink
Staff Writer
Freshman Marit Kreugel has made her impact on the Racer community early on in her tennis career, going 22-2 in both combined singles and doubles matches to start the 2020 season.
The 17-year-old from the Netherlands got off to an electric start, going undefeated through her first 18 matches before finally ending the streak in late February. Kreugel admitted the pressure was relieved after that loss, and she thinks now she’s playing the best she’s ever played.
“I was just playing my game,” Kreugel said. “I’m actually playing pretty well right now. I have had some issues, but now it’s going really well. I’m not undefeated anymore, but it’s been a good season.”
Kreugel described her choice of Murray State by first explaining the decision she had to make before deciding to pursue tennis at the collegiate level.
“At first I did gymnastics too,” Kreugel said. “When I got better in both I had to decide which one to take, and I was better and had more fun in tennis so I started doing more tennis.”
Kreugel said the biggest reason she came to Murray State was because of Head Coach Jorge Caetano, who she emailed and spoke with on the phone before she made her final decision.
Kreugel said it didn’t take long for her to “fall in love” with Murray State, especially after meeting her teammates.
Kreugel’s history with tennis goes back to when she was 5 years old. Her brothers played tennis at that time, and seeing her spending so much time watching them play, her parents decided to get her on the court as well. As Kreugel got older, it became clear she wanted to pursue a career at the collegiate level.
Caetano was happy to have Kreugel’s addition to the team, and while he saw potential in her, the more he sees her play, the more he is amazed by what she can do.
“I knew she could be good for us from the beginning,” Caetano said. “But I wasn’t expecting that good right away.”
Caetano agreed with Kreugel’s sentiment about her winning streak, going so far as to say he was glad she finally picked up a loss.
“It’s good to have a couple of tough matches to take the pressure off her,” Caetano said. “When you’re winning a lot, you kind of start to stop focusing on what you have to do and just focus on the result. I think it was good that she had a loss, and now she’s playing good tennis again.”
The loss of the streak is not a deterrent for Caetano when it comes to Kreugel’s value to the team. While Caetano believes she still needs to find her voice among her teammates, he said her skills alone have the potential to place her in a leadership role by the time she’s an upperclassman.
“She is very mature for her age, both on and off the court,” Caetano said. “I think she’s becoming that kind of player. She leads in a different way on the court, but by the time she’s a junior or senior I can see her leading by more than just example.”
As a competitor, Kreugel has some simple personal goals for her future at Murray State.
“I just want to be a better team player and get to know more people,” Kreugel said. “I want to continue what I’m doing on the court now. I just hope it’s going to stay like this.”
