The Red and Blue host Brown today, while Yale will come to Penn tomorrow. A 2-6 Ivy record last season and a loss to Princeton to open this season have left the Penn men's tennis team eager to get back on the right track in the Ancient Eight. Standing in its way this weekend are Brown (8-8, 0-0 Ivy) and Yale, which Penn will face at the Lott Courts today at 2 p.m. and tomorrow at noon, respectively. Last season, Penn managed one of its two Ivy victories by a 4-3 count at Brown, but was defeated by the Elis, 5-2, in New Haven, Conn. Penn (8-7, 0-1) is coming off a 5-2 loss to Princeton in its Ivy League opener last Saturday at home. The Tigers, who are currently ranked No. 66 in the nation, only dropped two singles victories to the Red and Blue. Penn was bested by a score of 8-6 in three close doubles matches, which have been a problem for Penn lately. The Red and Blue have been unable to win the close points, as they have claimed only one victory in nine doubles matches since returning from their spring break trip to Hawaii. The Quakers will look to make a strong singles showing and solve their doubles problems against Brown and Yale this weekend. "We're prepared," freshman Ryan Harwood said. "We've been training very hard, especially on our doubles game." Penn's singles players may have an easier road to travel this weekend against the Bears and the Elis, both of whom are closer to Penn in the rankings than the Tigers. The Orange and Black are expected to contend for the Ivy League title this season. Both of Penn's weekend opponents, however, are solid at the top of the lineup and could give Penn's front-line players trouble. Yale, coached by Alex Dorato, who is in his eighth year with the Elis, will send junior Greg Royce up against Penn's Fanda Stejskal at the No. 1 spot. Royce finished 16th last year in the Eastern Intercollegiate Tennis League Tournament. First, though, Penn must deal with the Bears. Second-year Brown coach John Choboy's team will be playing in its first match since returning from an 0-4 trip to Florida two weeks ago. Stejskal and sophomore Brian Barki will face particularly stiff opposition from Choboy's top players. Barki will face sophomore Nick Malone, who finished 22nd in singles last year in the EITL Tournament. Stejskal will have to match up against freshman phenomenon Justin Natale. Natale, a certain contender for Ivy League Rookie of the Year honors, has already garnered the No. 65 ranking in the country. He has continually impressed for the Bears, with a tournament record that already includes a second-place finish in the Eastern Regional Championships and a first-place finish in the Farnsworth-Princeton Invitational. The effort to recover strong doubles play this weekend will be an arduous one for the top Quakers pair. Stejskal and doubles partner junior co-captain Eric Sobotka will face the brunt of the Brown doubles attack, taking the court against Natale and Malone. Yale will send sophomore Chris Shackelton and junior Scott Carlton up against Penn's top duo. After a 0-1 start, Penn's Ivy season could definitely use a jump-start. The Quakers must find a way to match up against two solid programs if they hope to get in the win column this weekend.
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