Fujimoto set to return for senior season for IU women's tennis team

Plagued for a year by injuries, senior Kayla Fujimoto is trying to get back on the tennis court.

Fujimoto was a large part of the success during IU’s 2011-12 women’s tennis
season.

During her sophomore year, Fujimoto had a 22-9 record in the No. 6 singles spot and was part of the winningest doubles duo for IU, going 28-11 alongside Evegeniya Vertesheva.

“I battled a shoulder injury all spring,” Fujimoto said. “I had surgery in September of my junior year.”

She had played through the pain during her sophomore year, but she eventually opted for surgery and was sidelined for her junior campaign.

IU Coach Lin Loring said the shoulder injury wasn’t the only problem for Fujimoto.

“Kayla had a little bit of a wrist injury,” Loring said. “She had it earlier in her career, and it kind of came back again when she was hitting.

“Since she was already out, we decided to do the wrist surgery also. One just followed the other.”

Fujimoto spent her junior year in the athletic training room trying to rehab and get back to form for the upcoming season.

“It was just a constant process that whole year,” Fujimoto said. “And this summer, once I was cleared to play, I just worked really hard training and practicing.”

She was able to start hitting in April 2013.

Fujimoto said she just wanted to play and get back into the swing of things.

In the Hoosier Classic, her first preseason tournament, Fujimoto had a perfect weekend in singles, going undefeated.

In the Vanderbilt University June Stewart Invitational, she won her singles match 6-2, 6-0.

The IU women’s tennis team will be playing in the Western Michigan Invitational in November for its last preseason tournament.

Fujimoto still has room for improvement and will be using this preseason play as a way to progress.

“She just needs to play a lot of matches,” Loring said. “It’s one thing doing drills and rallies, but it’s another thing to play.”

Fujimoto is ready to have a productive season after she lost a season to injury.

“It’s my senior year, and I just want to make the best of it,” Fujimoto said. “I don’t want to regret anything, and I just want to compete as hard as I can.”

Follow reporter Greg Gottfried on Twitter @gott31.