Hartford, CT — Harvard first-year player Laura Gemmell defeated Trinity’s Pamela Hathway in a thrilling five-game match to win the 2010 Women’s Individual Championship.

Gemmell came into the match as the top seed, having helped lead Harvard to a national team title the week before. Gemmell was not only undefeated in college play — she had won all but one match 3-0, including an 11-6, 11-6, 11-7 win over Hathway in January.

Hathway came into the match as something of a dark horse. A junior, she transfered to Trinity this year. She began the season playing number 4 and had moved up to the number 1 spot by the middle of January.

Gemmell went ahead early in the first game, but the match quickly became quite close. Gemmell won the first game 12-10, then Hathway came back and won the second game decisively 11-5, thanks in large part to a series of deadly working forehand boasts.

During the course of the long third game Gemmell regained composure, and when Hathway reached game ball at 10-8, the Crimson first-year evened the score to 10-all. Hathway, however, wasn’t done, and took the game 14-12.

Hathway won the first three points of the fourth game and seemed to be in control. Then Gemmell evened the score at 5-all. The two players traded points until Gemmell held out to win the last two points, taking the game 11-9.

The match was close until the end, and players and fans from Harvard and Trinity surrounded court 1, cheering Gemmell and Hathway on. It came down to the wire, with Hathway coming from behind to tie Gemmell at 9-all. Gemmell had been pushed in this match more than the entire season, but she didn’t look back. She won the next two points, winning the Ramsay Cup and the women’s individual title 3-2.

Katherine O’Donnell, a Harvard senior, captured the Holleran Cup and the “B” Division title with a 3-2 win over JoAnn Jee of Trinity.