The last fall tournament for the ASU women’s tennis team begins Friday with home-court advantage and the return of a nationally ranked player.

The ASU Thunderbird Invitational closes out the fall season for the Sun Devils but brings about the return of the 35th-ranked player in the country, ASU senior Nadia Abdala.

ASU assistant coach Clint Letcher said that Abdala possibly could have played last week but they didn’t want her to come back too early, and that she will have guaranteed matches in this tournament.

“She has been wanting to play for a long time now,” he said.

Letcher said the team is excited to play on its home court for the first time this season in front of friends and family.

“It’s always comfortable playing at home,” he said.

Abdala said playing at ASU is good to be able to stay within their routines.

“You’re in your own environment,” she said.

The tournament will include players from Boise State, California, Michigan, Ohio State and the University of San Diego.

The singles bracket provides four players ranked in the preseason top 100 in ASU junior Kelcy McKenna (No. 7), Abdala (No. 35), ASU junior Micaela Hein (No. 68) and Michigan junior Rika Tatsuno (No. 74).

Letcher said that even though the Sun Devils claimed the top-three seeds in the singles bracket, there could be several sleepers in the tournament.

Letcher said that the team gets excited for this tournament, and for many on the team, it is their favorite of the fall season.

ASU sophomore Michelle Brycki said that it is important to do well in the last tournament of the fall season.

“It’s good to get some good matches and some good wins, so then next season we have our confidence up,” she said.

Following the tournament, the team will enter the winter offseason, where they will be limited in instructional practices.

Letcher said that because tennis is a year-round sport, the gap between the fall and spring seasons is nothing new.

The spring season starts with dual matches, which Letcher said the team finds much more exciting.

“It’s almost like you are playing for your teammates,” Letcher said. “They’re pushing you, and you’re pushing them. It is a different atmosphere.”

ASU sophomore Sianna Simmons said duel matches are much more intense when playing next to teammates and as a team.

“It’s a much different vibe, but it is really cool,” Simmons said.

The team doesn’t have another scheduled tournament until Jan. 15 and has its first duel match on Jan, 22 against UC Santa Barbara.

“Right now, you play for yourself and you represent yourself,” Abdala said. “But in the spring we are all one.”

Reach the reporter at nathan.meacham@asu.edu.