M. Tennis dominates Pitt, Maryland to open season

Before the spring season began, Penn men's tennis coach Gene Miller predicted his team's depth would pave the road to victory. His prophecy proved true for Saturday's opening match of the season. The Quakers steamrolled over Pittsburgh and Maryland during a doubleheader at the Levy Tennis Pavilion, winning all twelve matches without losing a single set. A Sherman tank couldn't have been more efficient. "We completely dominated them," senior captain Marc Schecter said of the performance of the team, which opened its spring season at 2-0. The Quakers showed no mercy against Maryland. Six of the 12 sets played ended in scores of 6-0, and no Penn player lost more than two games in the other sets. Pittsburgh fared only slightly better, as one set actually made it to 7-5. The outcome of the match was never in question. Each Quaker easily controlled his opponent, particularly junior Andreas Olofsson, who demolished both players he faced by identical 6-0 scores. "I was very motivated for the match," Olofsson said. He wasn't the only one psyched for the first match of 1995. "We wanted to go in there and beat them really bad," freshman Marc Fisicaro said. Fisicaro also won handily, losing only two games in four sets. Favored to defeat both teams, the Quakers were aiming for a shutout going into the contest in the hopes of starting the season off with a bang. "We knew these teams weren't among the strongest," Olofsson said. "It was a good confidence builder." The players wanted to use the meet as an opportunity to get some matches under their belts before the competition heats up later this month. This situation was perfect because they were able to get into the flow of competition again without the pressure of a challenging opponent. The Quakers also issued a warning to the Ivy League. Since they were expected to win, the real test for the Quakers was maintaining their level of concentration throughout each and every match. "We didn't want to get overconfident and give away any easy points," sophomore Brad Goldberg said. Last week, Miller was concerned with the team's mental strength, and judging by Saturday's scores, Penn is heading in the right direction. When last year's results against the very same teams are compared to Saturday's scores, it is evident Penn has shown a marked improvement over the past year. "The matches were a lot closer last year," captain Neil Aaronson said. He attributed the team's improvement to better team chemistry, depth of talent and the addition of several talented freshmen.