M. Tennis swept by Ivy foes in last homestand

The Penn men's tennis team lost to Dartmouth and Harvard, falling to 1-4 in the Ivy League. This weekend, while much of Penn's campus was busy tasting the delectable treats for sale in the Quad, the men's tennis team was learning all about the bitter taste of defeat. The Quakers lost both of their Ivy matches this weekend, falling to Dartmouth 6-1 on Friday and Harvard 7-0 the following day. While Friday's inclement weather may have been a nuisance to Flingers in the Quad, it forced the Penn men's tennis team's match with the Big Green indoors to the Levy Pavilion. The Quakers (11-6, 1-4 Ivy League), who had been looking to improve their doubles play, were thwarted once again when they were swept in doubles by Dartmouth (13-5-1, 3-1). "The doubles point is crucial in setting the tone for the match," said Rob Pringle, a Daily Pennsylvanian photographer and member of the tennis team. "In a match like Dartmouth in which we're the underdogs, winning the doubles point can put a lot of pressure on the other team and they start to sweat. "Conversely, losing it across the board like we did makes them feel justified in thinking they can come in and walk all over us." And walk all over the Quakers is exactly what the Big Green did, as Penn's sluggish play in doubles carried over into singles. Of the six Quakers competing, only junior Uday Garg emerged victorious, coming back from losing the first set 6-3, to win the final two sets 6-4, 6-1 at No. 6. Other than Garg, only two other Quakers were able to carry their matches to three sets. Eric Sobotka, playing at No. 1, won his first set 7-6, eventually losing his next sets 6-2, 6-4. Senior captain Jordan Szekely also managed to prolong his match after losing the first set 6-1, by winning in the second, 7-6. However, the senior -- playing at No. 2 against regionally acclaimed Gabe Sauerhoff -- lost a close third set 7-6. The one-sided loss against Dartmouth was all the more disappointing because it was a team the Quakers felt they had a definite chance to beat. "With Dartmouth, for some reason we just didn't click. Some days you're there to play and some days you are just off," freshman Alex Crisses said. "No one was really fired up. "To play Ivy League athletics you have to bring your 'A' game and we just didn't do that." After Friday's disappointing loss, the Quakers knew they would have to bring more than just their "A" game to Saturday's match if they hoped to compete against Harvard, a top-20 team. Unfortunately, it was Harvard (17-4, 4-0) which schooled Penn, handing the Quakers a 7-0 loss outdoors at the Lott Courts. Penn, which fell easily to the Crimson in doubles, was unable to pick up a set in singles competition. Pringle, at No. 6, was one of only two Quakers to come close to forcing a third set, falling in straight sets 7-6, 7-5. No. 2 Szekely also put up a fight, dropping the first set 6-2 but posting a closer 7-5 result in losing the second. Sobotka, playing at No. 1, had an impressive outing against the top-ranked player in the country, James Blake. Sobotka turned in an impressive performance in front of the home crowd, forcing the future pro to work for his eventual 6-2, 6-4 victory. "It was a great experience playing Blake," Sobotka said. "He walked in feeling kind of cocky and it's good motivation for me to know that I made him work. I was pretty close to stealing that second set, and that's good to know for my own confidence." And confidence is exactly what the Quakers need going into their upcoming Ivy matches. The Red and Blue head to Columbia on Friday and to Ithaca on Saturday for a match against the Big Red. These two matches represent the Quakers' last chance to add a second Ivy win. "[Against Dartmouth and Harvard] we went out and had our butts kicked. That's the bottom line," coach Gordie Ernst said. What's going to be interesting is to see how the guys respond and what kind of character they show this weekend."