W. Tennis edges Princeton at home to remain perfect

The 51st-ranked Quakers improved to 13-0 in the spring by beating the Tigers on the strength of four singles victories. In a close match last Saturday, the Penn women's tennis team got a taste of sweet revenge against Ivy rival Princeton, defeating the Tigers 5-4 at home. The win raised the team's spring record to a perfect 13-0 (2-0 Ivy League) and improved the Quakers' position in their drive for the Ivy championship. In last season's match against the squad from Old Nassau, Penn captured only two of the six singles matches, entering doubles play down by a score of 4-2. Despite a strong effort, the Quakers were unable to sweep all three doubles and fell just short with a 5-4 loss. Princeton went on to a second-place finish -- one spot ahead of the Quakers. Now defending champion Harvard, who defeated the Red and Blue last year, is the only remaining Ivy team who finished ahead of Penn last year and is still undefeated. But Penn's hard work and effort this year has paid off in a big way, and the Quakers turned the tables on Princeton. Freshman Louani Bascara, sophomore Shubha Srinivasan, junior Anastasia Pozdniakova and senior tri-captain Julia Feldman each won their singles match, sending Penn into doubles with a 4-2 lead. The No. 2 pair of Pozdniakova and Brooke Herman then clinched the win, finishing their doubles match first and handing their opponents an 8-3 defeat. "We were definitely pumped up for this match," Feldman said. "It was really nice to be in that position [going into the doubles ahead]. We are just so excited that we won." Feldman's No. 4 singles match against Princeton junior Lili Holodnak proved the deciding factor in the close match. The tri-captain started off slow and dropped the first set 6-4. But in an exciting two-hour marathon match, Feldman turned it around quickly and battled back to take the second and third sets 6-1, 6-1. "In the first set I would set up the shots but then I would miss on the big points when I really needed it," Feldman said. "After that first set, I took a few seconds and decided to really go for it. I just figured out what I had to do." A noticeably frustrated and upset Holodnak began to appear midway through the second set as key points began to go Penn's way and the Princeton player's one-set lead slowly slipped away. "I definitely noticed the frustration in her and I worked off of that," said Feldman. "I scared her off a little bit, I think, because I was making more shots and coming to the net more often. I really don't think she believed she could do it, and that made me even more motivated to win." Pozdniakova and Herman then teamed up to dispatch their doubles opponent in quick fashion. The pair was noticeably dominant and jumped out to an early lead. They never looked back. "We had played them at the Princeton Invitational and won 8-2 but they are both strong singles players, and we knew they would be a tough team," Herman said. "But the way we play, if you are not used to us and we are on, we are very tough. And I don't think I have ever been more intense than in that match. We were going to either win or die." The Quakers, who have not lost a match at home in two years, were also supported by the cheers of the Penn crowd, which numbered nearly 75. Drawn in by free food offered by the tennis team, the warm weather and the enthusiasm of head coach Michael Dowd, the fans cheered on both Feldman in her comeback and Pozdniakova and Herman as they put the finishing touches on the Penn victory. Dowd passed out programs and food to the fans in attendance, encouraged cheering at crucial points in each match, and worked hard to keep everyone excited and involved in the action. In fact, Dowd seemingly did everything except sell tickets -- admission was free. "It was the first time we had done that," Dowd said. "But it is something I would like to continue. The outdoor courts are such a great location and there's no question the crowd's energy really helped us. The visiting players are not used to that in tennis and I definitely think that helped." "I am really proud of everyone on the team," Herman said. "Every single person contributed to this victory. It will give us some confidence and we have to take it and rise to the next level -- we have to maintain the same intensity for the next five matches."