M. Tennis splits squad for tournaments

and Rhonda Textor The 1998-99 men's tennis season gets underway this weekend with members of the Quakers playing in two tournaments. Part of the team will be playing the ITA National Clay Court Championships in Baltimore, Md., while others will be competing at Swarthmore at the Tim Berman Invitational. Both tournaments should prepare the players both mentally and physically for what will be an extremely challenging year. The Penn team was busy in the offseason with the acquisition of Brown alumnus Gordie Ernst, the new head coach. He brings a fresh, intense style with him from his former position as an assistant at Northwestern. Ernst loves the feisty, competitive spirit the team has shown during practice. According to Ernst, what the team may lack in maturity, they make up for on the court through their intensity and love of the game. He appreciates it when some of the players argue over line calls in practice. "It shows their devotion and will to win," Ernst said. While the Red and Blue appear to be building a strong, cohesive unit, the rookie coach will not predict how far they will go in the Ivy League this year. According to Ernst, Yale and Harvard, who have several of the top junior players in the nation on their squads, appear to be the teams to beat. Princeton and Columbia should be legitimate contenders as well. In addition to the recent coaching change, Penn has received several new players as well. One of those players is Uday Garg, a transfer student from Indiana. He said he is proud to be a part of the Penn tennis team and really respects Ernst as a coach. He also said he is looking forward to the tournament action in Swarthmore this weekend, though he admits to looking ahead to the team's trip to Hawaii during Spring Break. Junior Dominic Rioux said he couldn't be happier with Ernst's style of teaching. Unlike last year, the practices are less time-consuming, but a lot more focused and intense. Rioux believes Penn can hold its own with any team in the Ancient Eight, a credit to Ernst and a devoted team unit. Rioux also believes that freshmen Steve Rodway and Brian Barki have the potential to lead the Quakers as they gain experience through the year. The fall should be excellent preparation for the dual matches to be played in the spring. For the next several months, members of the Quakers will be participating in a variety of tournaments, concentrating on their individual records. Beginning this spring, the team will play its regular schedule, which will include all of the Ivy League members, as well as a variety of other schools. Whatever the outcome of the season may be, it promises to be a step in a new direction.