January means tennis

Looking to place their mark on Princeton before the season begins, Penn men's tennis coach Gene Miller will be taking three players into New Jersey this weekend for the Princeton Spring Invitational. Coming off of a tumultuous fall season, the Quakers squad has high aspirations for the spring season. This weekend's invitational will be the first of a series of gauges for Miller as to what needs to be done for the rest of the season. As an individual event, the Princeton Invitational allows only three players to be entered in the draw to maintain a non-team format. Though the team competition does not start until February 6, this event will give several players the chance to hone their skills before the dual match season begins for the rest of the team. The three entries represent the age diversity that may be the trademark of what Miller believes is a very talented squad. The sixth-year coach will be sending sophomores Jordan Szekely and David Schwartzman, as well as senior Joel Silman. With the strength of the team from the top to the bottom, the matches may help establish positions for these three in a wide-open Penn lineup. The Princeton Invitational will offer a challenge, as this tournament typically brings in many of the country's best players. According to Miller, the field will draw the top three singles players from the schools who will be attending. Among these schools in the past have been such top-notch programs as Mississippi and Miami (Fla.). Beyond this weekend's tournament, the season commands a grueling schedule which should prove to be a challenge for a Quakers squad hoping to establish their place in the elite of the Ivy League. Penn senior co-captain Brad Goldberg feels that this team will have a difficult road to travel. "This is by far the toughest schedule we have ever played," Goldberg said. The schedule includes top-20 teams like Southern Alabama. The ultimate goal, according to Goldberg, is to make the regional tournament. The top three teams at regionals would then go to the NCAA tournament at the end of the season. Miller believes such accomplishments are possible, but will take much work. The winter has brought nagging injuries to the Quakers, leaving many positions on the team up for grabs. Miller feels that the only two positions which are definitely a lock are those of his No. 1 and No. 2 singles players, filled by sophomore Udi Kish and junior Marc Fisicaro. While the singles ranks promise to provide some changes throughout the course of the season, the consistent improvement of the doubles players should also provide some stability. Two of the Quakers' doubles pairings will begin the season regionally-ranked. Led by the senior co-captain tandem of Goldberg and J.J. Cramer, Penn's doubles should provide tough competition throughout the region. "They have a special magic that when they connect is very difficult to beat -- they always seem to know what the other one is doing," Miller said. The team would like to see the emergence of two other consistent doubles teams, a task which may take some maneuvering. Led by some key senior leadership, and with the emergence of some of the young talent, control of the Ivy League seems within the reach of the Quakers. The season should pave the way towards success, and possibly the East regionals later this spring.

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